What do you mean, Hollow?
by hakon2feb
Summary: Soul society needs a hero in their hour of need. Who is better than a blonde ninja? Strong Shinigami/Ninja Naruto. max 4 people from Naruto universe. Pairings: NarutoxHinata H.xSakura H.xSui FengxTier Harribel My first story, so i'll put alot of work into it :)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

Hi, this is my first story, and it will be a slight Bleach/Naruto crossover, mainly in the Bleach universe. At most, there will probably be 3-4 people from the Naruto universe in this fic, so I'm sorry if this isn't the kind of fic you were looking for.

Back to the fic, Naruto will be one of the main characters. He will get four girls in this fic, but he will have to work for two, and the others will be introduced later.

I'm new to writing stories in general, so I hope you will forgive any mistakes I make and help me make this story the best it can be. :)

Speech:"hi"

Thoughts:_Interesting_

Biju/Zanpakutö thought/speech: **"RAAAWR!"**

Shinigami techniques/Jutsu: (**Sexy jutsu/Oiroke no jutsu/Hado #4: Byakurai) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, Naruto or Van Helsing. Tite Kubo owns Bleach and Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto. Sometimes I wonder if I even want to own them. It might be more trouble them it is worth :p With that said, I do want to own those hand saws and my very own cuddly nine tailed fox :p**

Chapter 1. Are you kidding me?!

It was a stormy night in Soul Society. Dark clouds littered the sky, and heavy rain fell on anyone who were unlucky enough to have guard duty. The only lights were those made to illuminate houses, and the occasional bolt of lightning that would tear through the darkness. Most farmers would praise the rain, for it was a blessing after two weeks of dry weather. But then there were those that couldn't help but feel that this storm was an ominous sign that something that should never happen was set in motion.

Captain Commander Genryüsai Yamamoto of the thirteen court guard squads sat in his office in the first division barracks. He was the oldest Shinigami still alive, and he had the scars to prove it. His long white eyebrows frame his face, and just above them, he had a cross shaped scar. His eyes could see through a person and spoke of great wisdom only obtained from years and years of experience. He has a long white beard and moustache, which is a contrast to his black Soul Reaper kimono. Over his shoulders, he wears a white haori with the first division insignia clearly visible on the back, and by his right side is a big wooden cane that conceals his Zanpakutö. Not for the first time this night, the Captain Commander gives a weary sigh. Only he and a select few are aware of what the ominous weather means.

"Bring me Sui Fëng." Yamamoto says to no one in particular, and yet he knows that his order will be followed to the letter.

Not for the first time in his life, did the Captain Commander wonder if his subordinates could so easily forget that he had over one thousand years of experience. And not for the first time did the Captain Commander think back to the events that happened roughly fifty years ago. It was raining that night as well. That night, when four captains, three vice captains and the lieutenant of the Kidö corps were turned into Shinigami/Hollow hybrids and had to flee Soul Society along with the captain of the Kidö corps, the captain of squad twelve and the captain of squad two. Even fifty years later, there was still problems with friction between the new captains.

"Sui Fëng reporting, Sir."

And just like that, the Captain Commander was brought out of his thoughts. He let his eyes drift over her body, and took in her sleeveless haori with yellow sash, grey eyes, and short black hair with two long braids ending in golden rings and a sword strapped horizontally along her lower back. She looked to be in her twenties, but the Captain Commander knew better. Soul reapers aged far slower than humans, after all. This was indeed the captain of the second division, as well as the leader of the stealth force and the punishment squad. Yamamoto took a few seconds to compose himself, because he knew that what he was about to say was not only top secret, but also of grave importance to Soul society.

"How do you feel lately, Sui Fëng?" Yamamoto let the question stay open, because he didn't want to force her to say anything.

"As good as always, Sir. I'm ready for duty." Both knew the first statement was a lie. Sui Fëng felt deeply betrayed when the previous captain of the second squad, Yaruichi Shihöin, left Soul Society roughly fifty years ago. But she also knew that the Captain Commander wouldn't press it unless something important happened.

"Good. What I am about to tell you is a secret only a handful of people know. You are not to tell anyone except those already involved in the secret. Is that clear?" The last phrase was laced with a bit of spiritual pressure. Not enough for any physical discomfort, but enough to show that he was serious.

"Yes, Sir. I will take this secret to the grave if necessary." She knew that the Captain Commanders word was law, and she knew what it felt like to be betrayed. She would not be the one to break the Captain Commanders trust.

"Excellent, but before I begin, I think some backstory is in order, so you may grasp the full picture. Roughly 400 years ago, there was a huge battle waged between humans, in a place which at that time was called the elemental nations. These humans had special powers that they called chakra. These special powers were not unlike Kidö or the special effects of a Zanpakutö…"

**Twelfth squad. Research and development.**

While the storm was pounding on the roofs, sparks were flying inside the research and development facility. One apparatus had arcs of electricity run between two metal rods, while another was rotating and giving off sparks to all sides. A man was hunched over an operating table, where a white blanket was covering something that looked like a human body with several wires attached to it.

"Igor, we need more power." The man had a gleam in his eyes. His white coat emblazoning the squad twelve mark on the back. He simply lived for experiments such as this. The storm was the perfect condition, and he would partially use it for this particular experiment.

"Yes, master." Was the answer from his assistant, a black haired woman that looked to be in her late twenties. She had black hair in a single large braid going down her back, dark green eyes and a hearth shaped face. On her left arm she has a vice captain badge that clearly says twelfth squad.

"Do we really have to do this?" She asks, in a rare show of emotions.

"Yes, we do. Now shut up and follow the script." Mayuri Kurotsuchi said, clearly annoyed that his vice captain had ruined the atmosphere.

"Yes, Sir." Barely audible she said: "I blame vice captain Matsumoto for forcing us all to watch that vampire/werewolf movie, although it did give me some ideas to new weapons I can use…" Without knowing it, her captain had the exact same thoughts. Those saws1 could deal some damage as well as be useful during dissections.

AATCHOO! On the other side of Seireitei, an orange haired woman could be heard sneezing in her office in the tenth squad.

"Captain, I think the weather is making me sick. Can I take the rest of the day off?"

"Absolutely not, Rangiku. There is far too much paperwork as there is. Besides, you haven't been outside since yesterday, so how would you get sick?" Captain Töshirö Hitsugaya was not amused. His Vice-Captain would take any chance she got to relax and drink her sake.

"Aww, but Captain…"

"Very well." An evil glint in his eye. "You can either continue your work, or walk all the way to squad four in the rain for a check-up. If they say you are ill, you will be allowed to walk back and rest for the day."

"Fine..." Let it be known that Rangiku was no fan of rain.

**Twelfth squad. Research and development**

Just then, a lightning bolt struck a metal conductor on the roof of the facility. The lightning, along with concentrated spiritual particles, was sent to a machine. This machine would regulate the flow, and then send it into the body on the operating table. The body then arched its back against the restraints that held the hands and feet in place. The whole body would twitch violently before the steady bleeping sound from a machine would sound out.

"It's alive. It's alive! IT'S ALIVE!" Somewhere in the afterlife, a certain Victor Frankenstein was a very proud man. Mayuri Kurotsuchi had a smile that could split his face (And with his body modifications, it probably did). The experiment had gone just as planned, and it was now up to him to see if it was a success or not.

**First squad, captains' office.**

Sui Fëng was shocked. Her lower jaw would have hit the floor had she not had the training from both the stealth force and the punishment squad.

"Let me make this clear. Research and development are working on cloning the strongest fighter from possibly the most intense war in human history. We are doing this as a response to the growing strength of the hollows in Hueco Mundo?"

"That is correct, Sui Fëng." _Although not the entire truth, but that is for me to know until certain events unfold._

"And since they were known to fight in a similar way as the stealth force, you want me to supervise his training?"

"Correct again. If he is to help us keep balance, then it would be best if he is at top physical condition."

Someone knocking on the door interrupted anything else that could be said. Yamamoto of course, knew who it was for he was expecting to hear from them eventually.

"Enter" was Yamamoto's only response to the interruption. In came Nemu Kurotsuchi, who quickly bowed to the Captain Commander.

"Report." Was the only word Yamamoto spoke, trying not to sound too excited.

"Sir, the experiment was a success. Would you like to observe it for yourself?" Nemu was soaking wet, clearly showing what to expect should anyone venture outside in the storm. "Yes, of course. Please lead the way. Sui Fëng, please join us, you need to see this as well."

**Twelfth squad. Research and development.**

Mayuri Kurotsuchi is standing next to the operating table. His face is black, with the outer edges and the nose painted white. His eyes are a golden colour, and golden cones protect his ears and chin. To complete the outfit, he wears a hat with two long points going to his right, a purple scarf and he has one long nail on his middle finger.

"I'm so glad you could make it at such a short notice, Captain Commander. This truly is an interesting specimen." The head of research and development was obviously very excited to be working on this project. Those who knew him could see the clear signs that the twelfth captain would most likely lock himself inside the lab until there was no more data to collect from his new test subject.

"I trust everything went as expected?" Yamamoto could see the clear outline of the body that was on the operating table, the slow rising and falling over the chest area a clear sign that the person was alive.

"Ah, there were some complications, and we had to use the same gigai technology that was used on Nemu, because the soul was too unstable." As an afterthought, he added.

"It was almost like this person had several souls tightly woven together with his own, but that is unheard of in the records from Seireitei." Yamamoto was slightly troubled by this news, but kept a blank face.

"Do you believe there will be any side effects because of this?" Mayuri looked like he couldn't care either way. Most likely because it would give him more data to study.

"At this point, we can't say for sure. The best thing we can do is continue to monitor him for any changes. According to his brain activity, he should remain unconscious for at least a week."

**Inside mysterious persons mind.**

Nine figures could be seen standing in a circle on top of what looked like a seal with the yin/yang emblem in the middle. You could barely see the outlines of the figures, but if you looked closely, you could see that they were all looking towards the centre of the circle. There was a man who lay on his back in the centre of the circle. His sun-kissed, almost yellow hair was spiky on top with two chin long bangs framing his face, and in the back, it went down to shoulder length in a messy ponytail. On his cheeks, he had three black lines that looked almost like whiskers. Along with the messy blonde hair, he had had those since the day he was born. He lay there in the clothes he wore while he was alive. A knee length burnt orange coat with arms and a hood that had several seals inside. Although you couldn't see it, there was nine spirals forming a square on the back of it. On his chest, he wore a tight black muscle shirt with three red slashes going from left shoulder to right hip. The shirt did little to hide the sleek muscles underneath it. He wore baggy black pants with six pockets and was taped to his ankles before his feet ended in wooden geta.

Suddenly, the man began to stir, and this was what the nine figures had been waiting for. He slowly opened his eyes to reveal deep pacific blue eyes that were slightly unfocused. He blinked a few times before he sat up and looked around. He gave a small smile when he recognised the nine figures, but then he frowned.

"If this is Edo Tensei, then I'm gonna kick some ass once I get out of here." The nine figures snickered a bit at that, glad to hear the voice of the man once again. One of them then spoke in a deep male voice.

"**It is good to see you again, but you as well as we should be aware that Edo Tensei is impossible after what you did. We all knew it had to be done, but you needed balls to propose that all chakra except what was necessary to live was to be sealed off permanently."** The man rubbed the back of his head while looking sheepish. His face and body was that of a man in his early twenties, but the eyes showed that he had many years of experience.

"Yeah. With the use of chakra, wars escalated to the point of genocide, and after the last big battle, I think everyone was tired of fighting. It didn't take much to convince everyone that it was necessary." Like if the figure in front of him could read his mind it spoke.

"**Although our power have been weakened after being dead for who knows how long, we are unable to sense anyone with the ability to use chakra. Our conclusion is that whoever brought us back did it with other means, and that the sealing you did was most likely a success."** The man looked slightly relieved.

"Well, since we have established that, then perhaps it's time to see who wanted us so bad that they had to bring us back to life."

"**I agree. The sooner you wake up, the sooner we can figure out what's going on. I doubt I need to warn you, but I will say it anyways: Don't mention us if you can. After all, we don't know what they know, so they have the upper hand for now."**

"You got it. Take care, Kurama."

"**We will see you soon, kit."**

**Twelfth squad. Research and development.**

The monitors by the operating table began to flash and bleep faster. Deep breathing could be heard, compared to the shallow breaths earlier that indicated a coma like state. Everyone in the room, Mayuri included, was shocked by this. Here was a person that was supposed to be in a coma state for another week, and he just woke up. No one was quite sure what would happen next until the man on the table spoke.

"I can only see white. Man I hope I'm not in the hospital again. Sakura would kill me." They all were surprised by this, but Mayuri recovered quickly and said.

"At any rate, it looks like the universal translator works. Nemu, remove the blanket, so our test subject might see us." The blanket was folded so the body from the stomach to head was uncovered. The man on the table squinted in the bright light before his eyes adjusted and he put a frown on his face. He had seen enough of Orochimarus' test subjects to know that he hated that name. The captains were all on the same side of the operating table, so the man only needed to turn his head to get a good look at them. _Ok, so we have an old man who could pass for an older Hiruzen Sarutobi, a guy that smiles like Orochimaru, a woman that could pass as Kabuto, although I don't sense anything sinister about her, and finally a woman who holds loneliness and pain inside her. _Before anyone has the time to say anything, they all hear a great rumbling, and the man looks at them sheepishly.

"Hey, you don't have any food here, do you? I would prefer ramen, but if you don't have any at hand I can take anything." The people there just gaped, until Nemu came in with some soup in a large bowl. She filled a smaller bowl and took a spoon before she started to feed the man. After giving him the fourth bowl, he smiled and thanked her for the delicious food.

"Ok, so I don't know why I'm here, where here is, or what you want with me. I can tell that you brought me back for a reason, and I don't feel any pain, so I assume that it went like planned. I would shake your hand, but mine are a bit tied up at the moment so I guess I'll just introduce myself. I am a ninja from Konohagakure no Sato or Konoha for short and my name is Naruto Uzumaki."

**Omake: Reincarnations from the past.**

While Sakura was walking around in Seireitei, she suddenly spotted the most gravity defying grey hair that she had ever seen. She couldn't believe it. Naruto had told her that the three of them were the only ones that were brought back, but that gravity defying hair could only belong to one person. Quickly running over, she lunges for the person and ends up toppling them both over. In joyous disbelief she cries out.

"Kakashi sensei! It's been so long." Taking a second she gets a good look at him. "Kakashi sensei, why are you so short? And what are you doing here with Anko Mitarashi?"

To stunned to say anything, his vice Captain steps in.

"Look here, honey. I'm not sure who you are calling Kakashi and Anko, but I am Rangiku Matsumoto, and this is my Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Are you sure? The way you dress I was sure you were Anko. Perhaps the memories will come back once you try to taste a bit of my blood?"

…

…

Out of confusion, the only thing Rangiku could do was attack.

"Growl Hineko!" Her Zanpakuto turned into dust that started to swirl around her.

"You bitch! I killed Sasori of the red sand. Do you honestly think a bit of ash could bring me down?!" (Big catfight begins. Just like Tsunade would have done, the fight ended after 5 minutes and both decided to go get drunk.)

…

In the world of the living, Hinata was sitting with Ichigo and the others on the roof of Karakura high school. She was squinting her eyes, trying to look for something that must obviously be there. The usually stoic Uryu Ishida was getting a little uncomfortable.

"You have been staring at me for the past twenty minutes. Do I have something in my face? Are my glasses funny?"

"Neji-niisan, don't you remember me? Fate made it so we would meet again."

A confused Uryu had no idea what Hinata was talking about. With a frightened look, he stood up and took a step backwards when Hinata began shouting about the power of youth. By the time she had henged into a man with a bowl cut, big eyebrows and a green spandex suit he had already fled the rooftop. Uryu was the only one that didn't have to go to mental therapy after seeing the incredibly dangerous genjutsu where two almost identical green spandex clad men were hugging in front of a big sunset.

**A/N:**

Ok, so first chapter is now over. I know there will be questions, and that is good in my opinion. If everything was straightforward then it would be boring, and that's no fun to read. There will most likely be answers to the most common questions in the next few chapters, so just give me time to write them :p Reviews are appreciated. I want to know if I do something good, and what bad stuff I do so I can fix it. I'm counting on you, readers. :)

1 Be honest. Of all the non-lightsabre weapons out there, you can't go wrong if you have a motorized handsaw like that. You can chop wood, chop people, chop wood, chop animals and chop some more wood. It's perfect.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

Hi again. Second chapter up, and I'm way behind on my school work. Probably not a good thing, but when I'm writing this, I have three reports to deliver within 4 days. Studying biology is fun and all, but I have been way too distracted with fan fictions (mostly reading other stories) to bother with school work. I wonder if I can do as Naruto and pass the written exam without studying at all. Not sure if it's worth it though, so perhaps I'll issue it as a challenge to my readers :p

I will try to post one chapter each week, but I really wanted to post this chapter fast because I got so excited when I saw how many people have actually read my first chapter.

Speech:"hi"

Thoughts:_Interesting_

Biju/Zanpakutö thought/speech: **"RAAAWR!"**

Shinigami techniques/Jutsu: (**Sexy jutsu/Oiroke no jutsu/Hado #4: Byakurai) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Naruto. Tite Kubo owns Bleach and Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto. What I do own is a big sack of guilt as a result of eating cheese cake and skipping my schoolwork. Damn you, cheese cake. (At least I can take credit for the cake, since it's my mother's recipe **** )**

Chapter 2. Wake me up, when my duty calls.

**Twelfth division. Research and development.**

The Captain Commander quickly hid his surprise to see the person that were on the operating table. He wasn't surprised by how the person looked, but more to the point what he had said. Not to seem rude, he quickly did the round of introductions. It was after all, common courtesy to introduce yourself when someone gave their own name.

"My name is Genryusai Yamamoto. I am the Captain Commander of the thirteen court guard squads of soul society. To my right is second Captain SoiFon, leader of the punishment and stealth force. To my left is twelfth Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi and his vice Captain and daughter, Nemu Kurotsuchi. They were the ones who resurrected you, on my orders." The blonde was squinting his eyes, as if looking for any lies or deceit. Seemingly finding none, the blonde gave a fox like grin and said in an even tone.

"Never heard of this "soul society", but I guess there was a limit to how much of the world I could travel after my wives died. Say, since you brought me back, would it be possible to bring them back as well?" Before anyone could say anything, he added.

"And it's not like they were just my wives either. Sakura was the strongest person I knew in terms of muscle power, and she was also the greatest medic nin in the entire Elemental nations. And Hinata was a fierce fighter with her clan style, as well as a great scout. " He spoke it with great pride in his voice, showing that he had a lot of confidence in his late wives.

The Captain Commander sent a questioning look to the twelfth captain. Already knowing the silent question, Mayuri then spoke.

"It would be possible, since for some reason, neither of you were sent here nor turned into hollows after your death. However it will take some time."

The blonde would have tilted his head in confusion if he could.

"What do you mean,"hollow"? I had two wonderful wives, lots of children, friends, a family and a bunch of people looking up to me…" Before he could say more, the Captain Commander interrupted him.

"A hollow is a term we soul reapers use when the soul of a recently died person gives in to despair…"

_Hmm… So if that is true, then I might have turned into a hollow had I died before I became a gennin, Naruto mused. _**"I agree, you were quite miserable at that time, but enough of the trip down memory lane. You need to learn more, since you are in a lack of better term, a stranger in a strange land."** With that, Naruto returned focus to what was happening around him.

"… And that is why we have brought you back. We need your help in response to the increasing strength of the hollows."

In Naruto's opinion, he could have been resurrected for weirder reasons, but if they needed him, who was he to deny them help?

"I am honoured that you feel I could make a difference. From what you say, these hollows have existed for quite some time. However, it will be some time before I'm back to full working capacity."

Yamamoto was visibly relaxing. Despite how dire the situation might become, he would never have forced someone to help defeat his enemies. Such an ally would only end up turning against you in the long run. Summoning a hell butterfly, the Captain Commander said.

"Captain of the fourth division is to get her alone, as fast as possible for a health check-up." Once that was done, he said in a more pleasant voice.

"Since you are awake, you can leave here once the Captain of the fourth division, my chief of medicine has done a proper check-up on you."

A few minutes later, the Captain of the fourth division, Unohana Retsu arrives. She is a calm woman with dark pale-blue eyes, and black hair in a long braid going down her front. She carries her sword over her shoulder in a piece of rope that is fastened at both ends of the scabbard. She looks very serene, but if Naruto knows something, it is to never piss off a medic. In a pleasant tone she asks.

"You summoned me, Captain Commander. What can I do for you this evening?" Unohana was usually accompanied by her vice captain, Isane Kotetsu, so since the hell butterfly had said to come alone meant that it was something urgent and probably secret.

"Thank you for making it on such short notice, Unohana. This young man over here is Naruto Uzumaki. He has recently been resurrected, and I would like you to give him a check-up to see if he is well enough to start his training."

"Hello, Uzumaki-san. My name is Unohana Retsu. If you would please be still for just a moment, I will see if there is anything wrong with you."

Nodding slightly, Unohana activates her healing kido (**Kaido**) and moves her hands over Naruto's body. _This is strange. This body not only has the normal Reiryoku(Spiritual power) I would expect, but also has canals that contain a different power source. _Reaching the stomach area, the fourth Captain suddenly gasps and backs away. In a slightly alarmed voice, she speaks.

"Captain Commander, I sense nine additional souls within this person's body, along with the network for a currently unknown power source located in his stomach area." In a stern voice, she adds.

"What are you trying to create here?"

Laughing softly, all attention turns to the blonde on the table.

"I can't believe you would resurrect me without knowing the first thing about me. To explain the network you found, it is a form of energy called chakra. After the last war, it was decided that any excess chakra would be sealed off to prevent mass scale destruction. Since it looks like I will be helping you guys save the world, then it might be necessary to unseal it in the future." Taking a deep breath and also looking into the eyes of everyone in the room, as if piercing their souls to judge them, the blonde continues.

"The nine souls you felt are spiritual being bound to me for eternity. While in life, they were the reason why I was among the strongest people to ever live. Thanks to this new energy I can feel in me, there is a large chance I will be among the most powerful in death as well."

The Shinigami in the room were all taken aback by that statement. The way the blonde was so casually talking about it, and the belief that he could measure up to Shinigami with several hundred years of experience was almost outrageous. Taking their shocked silence as a sign to continue, the blond did just that.

"Thanks to those nine spirits, my body has a high metabolism as well as regenerative abilities. Anything less than removing my head, or completely obliterating my body, I can survive. Due to this, I would say that unless there is anything wrong with my new energy source, I believe you called it spiritual power, I should be good to at least leave this place." As an afterthought, he added. "I have a great dislike for being in hospitals, so the faster we can do this, the better for me."

Most of those in the room had the same thought at that moment. _Who does this person think he is?_ Quickly recovering, Nemu was sent to retrieve some temporary clothing for the blonde. While that was happening, the Captain Commander decided to give Naruto some information.

"Now, while you live here, you will train and work directly under squad two and Captain SoiFon. She will teach you the necessary skills in using your new spiritual powers, as well as help you manifest your own Zanpakuto(soul cutter sword). You will receive special missions directly from me, but mostly, your day-to-day duty will be that to the second division."

Just then, Nemu was back with the clothes. Naruto grumbled a bit about there not being any orange. After making sure everyone had their backs turned, Naruto changed into the standard Shinigami uniform. Once clothed, the others excused themselves and Naruto was lead to the second division barracks. On the way there, SoiFon gives some general information about her division.

"Listen up! My division consists of the stealth force and the punishment squad. The general duty of the second division is stealth operations, assassinations and upholding the law in Seireitei. We specialise in stealth, speed, restraining kido(Bakudo) and hand to hand combat. Your cover story is that you used to live in the lower Rukongai districts. I saw you defending a mother and her child against the yakuza with your bare hands. Seeing your potential, I decided to take you in as my apprentice. On a side note, since you were deemed one of the strongest while alive, I expect you to rise fast in the ranks. Once you have gained the necessary experience in using your soul powers, I hope you will challenge my vice Captain for his title. Marechiyo Omaeda is a fat and lazy man who only got the seat because of his family and its wealth. Also, during training, you will refer to me as sensei or master, while on duty, you will call me Captain."

After taking a few minutes to think it all through, Naruto replies in a solemn voice.

"Thank you for doing this for me, Captain. I swear that I won't ever let you down. And don't worry about the training. I can take anything you can throw at me."

Giving a small smile to that, SoiFon leads them into the barracks of the second division. There they are met by the vice Captain. He is a tall man with short black hair that clings to his head, except for on the top where it connects to create a spike or fin like protrusion. He has small black eyes, large lips and a purple collar on the normal Shinigami outfit. He is eating from a bag of rice crackers, and on his fingers you can see several rings with jewels on them. In a casual voice he says.

"Hey, Captain. Who's the blonde pipsqueak? I bet he's just some poor commoner, since he's so skinny."

Before SoiFon has a chance to scold her vice Captain, Naruto bows and says in a humble tone.

"It is an honour to meet you, vice Captain Omaeda. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I used to live in in the lower Rukongai districts. The reason for why I'm here is because your Captain asked me to become her apprentice after she witnessed me defending a mother and her child from the yakuza."

Originally shocked by this, since his Captain had never taken an apprentice in all her fifty years of Captain, Omaeda paid it little heed. His Captain was after all a taskmaster, so he would bet that this commoner would soon end up dead. SoiFon, slightly impressed with how Naruto had handled the situation, then spoke.

"Naruto will be trained in the same methods as the second division. I will oversee his training in Kido(Spirit way), Hoho(Fast movement), and Zanjutsu(Swordsmanship). He will fight other squad members in order to train his Hakuda(White hits/Hand-to-hand), while you will oversee his physical exercises." Without waiting for a reply, she went into the second division barracks with Naruto in tow.

Omaeda could only scratch his head as he watched them go. Munching on a fistful of rice crackers he said to himself. "Such a weak commoner doesn't even deserve to be in the presence of our great Captain. Since I'm so wealthy, perhaps I should invite him to my home and brag about all my riches."

Once inside, Naruto was shown to where he would be staying. The vice Captain had made sure to show off his wealth by installing flashy features like automatic doors, queen-size beds, a well supplied kitchen and a bathroom with walk-in shower and a bathtub that could fit 2 people comfortably. All in all, with the big living room with a corner couch, tea table and dinner table that could hold 4 people, the entire thing was a bit bigger than the apartment Naruto had rented while he was still a child. Naruto had a feeling living quarters like these were held off for important guests and high ranking officers. It was certainly nice, although without anyone else there it felt kind of empty to one blonde ninja. Not that being alone was such a foreign concept, it was more along the lines that Naruto had come to get used to always be with his family after he had married Sakura and Hinata. Shortly before marrying them, he had hired carpenters to make what would later be called the Uzumaki clan compound.

_Flashback._

Tazuna was standing at the edge of a flat and deforested area, looking over the plans for his next great project. Before Naruto had the area deforested, he had made sure not to disturb any of the deer that lived in the forest. The compound would be located close to both the Nara and Inuzuka clans. Quite fitting for Naruto to remain close to some of those he considered his best friends.

"I thank you once again for doing this for me, Tazuna. You are doing me a great honour by constructing my future home."

"Think nothing of it, Naruto. It's the least I could do for one of the Heroes from Wave. Although it won't be as big as the bridge, I can assure you that it will be one of my masterpieces."

Giving a hearty lough, Naruto says. "It feels so long ago, and yet it has only been a little over six years since that time. I'm really glad I could help Wave. Seeing you and Inari so happy is well worth it."

"Inari was quite eager once he heard who hired us. He has been working hard all this time just to impress you."

Just then, both Hinata and Sakura walked over to them. Hinata has her hair down to the middle of her back. She was dressed in an indigo kimono with white snowflakes going down the sides. Sakura had grown her hair out a bit since the war, and now had it at just below shoulder length. She wore a deep crimson kimono with black sakura petals. They both went over to Naruto, each giving him a quick kiss, then putting their heads on each of his shoulders.

"So these are your wives, huh? You are a lucky man, Naruto, always remember that."

Wrapping his arms around both girls, he gives a large grin. "Oh, I know Tazuna. I know"

_Flashback end._

After getting a short tour around the apartment, SoiFon handed Naruto a sword.

"This is your Asauchi. A Zanpakuto is an extension of the person's soul. Your Zanpakuto doesn't have a name yet, but if you keep it with you at all times, it will eventually tell you. Also, if your spiritual pressure keeps rising at the rate it has all day, then you will have to supress it. You see, since the Zanpakuto is an extension of a person's soul, the length is proportional to the person's spiritual pressure. My last words to you tonight are the following: If you take good care of your Zanpakuto, then it will take good care of you as well."

Alone in his apartment, Naruto sits down in the couch with his sword. It was an average looking katana with a blade length of 28,6 inches (71,12 cm). The Tsuba (Guard) looked like a straight, blunted six point shuriken. And the Tsuka (handle) was 10,1 inches (25,8 cm). The Tsuka was a white background wrapped in black cloth. The Saya (Sheath) had a black glossy finish with a single orange line going the entire length. Naruto goes into a meditational trance, not just to sort through everything that has happened, but also for a little conversation.

**Inside Naruto's mind.**

No longer just vague shapes or outlines. There, before him, stood the nine tailed beasts of legend. From left to right was Shukaku, the one tail, Matatabi, the two tails, Isobu, the three tails, Son Goku, the four tails, Kokuo, the five tails, Saiken, the six tails, Chomei, the seven tails, Gyuki, the eight tails and finally, Kurama, the nine tails.

"It's a good thing that you guys along with my wives suggested I train in different weapons. I doubt I can match someone with several hundred years of experience, but once my body adapts, it wouldn't be long before I'm back to the level of a master swordsman."

"**My last partner didn't do much but rap and play with those swords all day. Of course it would rub over to me. We were all glad to help out." **Rumbled the eight tails bull/octopus hybrid.

Naruto had gotten to know all the tailed beasts, but they were still most comfortable with Kurama speaking for them. Something about seniority. However, like just now, they would usually voice their opinion from time to time.

"**It would be best if you train up your spiritual powers without the interference of chakra before you unlock your chakra again. If they had to resurrect us, we can expect some big fights in the future." **They all gave big grins at that. Peace was well and good, but nothing made the blood pump in your veins like a good fight. **"While we are on the subject, you should see if you can take an easy mission back to earth so you can unlock your chakra. You would need a big open space, and with the power you will be putting out, you might kill half the people in soul society."**

"Good point, Kurama. It's easy to forget how much chakra I really had now that it is all sealed up. Good thing they revived me though, because I'm the only one who can unseal chakra alone. Anyone else would have died because of the procedure. Not to mention the complex seal that has to be drawn."

"**Although you have a secondary power source now, I wouldn't recommend using up either one fully. Worst case, you might explode because your other power source would be too unstable to support itself. If that happened, then what Pain did to Konoha wouldn't even begin to describe the destruction from the blast. Was it your spiritual powers that were gone, the blast would probably reach from Konoha to the valley of the end. Now, what you should do is get some rest. Your spiritual powers will continue to climb until it's on the same level as your own chakra would have been. We estimate it will take about three months before your spiritual powers will end on a stable level." **

With that, Naruto went to sleep, dreaming about what he would do once his two wives were brought back to life.

**Omake: Shukaku's sand.**

"So I know that you two didn't like each other much from my conversations with Gaara. At least you, Shukaku, seemed to deeply despise Kurama. Care to explain it to me?"

Shukaku mutters something that neither can hear.

"**Ok, Naruto. First you need to know that it wasn't always like this. The nine of us were all one happy family after we had been separated from the ten tails. It was only after the sage of six paths died that we started to go our separate ways. We all loved the old man very much, so when he died, we all developed certain behaviours to cope with the loss. It was then that I developed my prankster nature, which you inherited. Some of those pranks really made me proud kit."**

"So it was all because of a prank? Shukaku hated you for hundreds of years because of a prank? Are you going to tell me what kind of prank it was?"

"**Well… One day, when Shukaku was asleep at the outskirts of a desert, I spent the night colouring his sand pink."**

"Well, that is hardly a reason to hate someone for so long. Are you sure it wasn't that mad priest that influenced you to hate him?"

"**Kid, you know how I had Gaara use my sand to crush people. Well, I could never admit it at the time, but I made him do it because I liked it when the blood would cover my sand in that nice, almost pink colour."**

…

…

Both Naruto and Kurama stood there with their jaws slack and hanging to the floor.

**A/N:**

Ok, so I will mostly be using narutopedia and bleach wiki for important facts regarding the two different universes that I try to put together. Many fan fictions I have read seem to have a warped view as to how the elemental nations are placed on the map, so I will be using the one from narutopedia or . ?t=20595477 when I refer to any landmass from the universes.

Also, I would like to rant that finding any timeline for events in the bleach universe is hard if you want it on a day-to-day basis. I herby curse Tite Kubo for not adding a calendar that shows the exact date for each story arc.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

Hi again. Chapter 3, and back for more.

I'm Super happy because currently, my story, as i post this, has 100 followers and 78 favorites. I really couldn't have done it without you guys, and it makes me so proud that people enjoy my story :)

I have decided to reply to reviewers through pm. This way, i won't end up spoiling the story by putting answeres into the A/N. Besides, you guys should read my story, not the replies to some random readers :p

Anyways, I have gotten some good feedback from my (currently) 17 reviews. If misstakes in my story is spotted, i will try to fix it, but pairings will remain unchanged and any plotholes i have left will most likely be adressed in the coming chapters.

Enjoy the show :)

hakon2feb.

Speech:"hi"

Thoughts:_Interesting_

Biju/Zanpakutö thought/speech: **"RAAAWR!"**

Shinigami techniques/Jutsu: (**Sexy jutsu/Oiroke no jutsu/Hado #4: Byakurai) **

Incantation for kido spells: 'Ye lord! Mask of flesh and blood…'

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Naruto. Tite Kubo owns Bleach and Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto. I do own my very own dragon though. Not like in Game of Thrones, but more like a multi jointed action figure dragon. (Still a dragon though). **

Chapter 3. Meeting new faces.

"You know, I really didn't think it would be that big a deal. I mean, back where I'm from, if you had an apprentice no one would bat an eye."

In the two week since Naruto was resurrected, most of the high-ranking officers of Seireitei had come over to meet him. They had for the most part been pleasant, but just like in the ninja world, there were some strange characters among the ranks. Of those he had already met, there was the ever-happy Ichimaru Gin, his seemingly depressed vice Captain Izuru Kira, both of the third division. He wondered if Gin was some kind of happiness vampire, and was stealing Kira's happiness. Then there was the calculating Sosuke Aizen and his fangirl of a vice Captain, Momo Hinamori, both of the fifth division. Naruto had asked his Captain in a hushed whisper if the sixth division Captain was related to the Hyuga. He at least looked the part, with that Stick up his ass. His vice Captain had been pleasant enough, although it looked like Renji Abarai had a rivalry with his Captain for some reason.

One day he was out training in Zanjutsu, he had suddenly felt a strong spiritual pressure and raw killing intent. He was out training, so he didn't think much of it. Suddenly, he felt the killing intent closing in, and he rolled to the right just as what looked like a chipped Nodachi came smashing down. His sleeve had been cut, and a slow stream of blood was running down his left hand as he stood up and looked over to the one who had attacked him.

"You know, interrupting someone's training and attacking them from behind isn't very nice."

The big man stood over him. He had black hair set in long spikes, with what looked like small bells on the tip. He was easily 2 meters tall, had an eye patch on his right eye and had a vertical scar going down the left side of his face. With him was a small girl with shoulder length pink hair and what looked like a permanent blush. She was eying him with some interest. After what felt like several minutes, she was finally done examining his face, and cried out happily.

"Hey, mister spiky fox-kun. Won't you please fight Kenny? It would make us both so happy if you did."

"Yachiru is right. I live for fighting, and only through fighting the strongest can I enjoy myself to the fullest."

SoiFon is about to step in, but realises that this might be a valuable learning experience, as well as a chance to see some of the potential Naruto has. Naruto is also a bit curious to how he would stack up to a Captain other than SoiFon. Bowing he says.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I would be honoured to fight you. However, should you wish to fight me in the future, I ask you to ask me first instead of almost chopping my arm off." Ending with a small grin, Kenpachi wasn't quite sure, but he had a feeling he would enjoy future fights with the blonde.

"I am Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of the eleventh division. I'm quite impressed that you stood up to my spiritual pressure, and also managed to dodge my initial attack. Let's fight!"

Charging in, Kenpachi aims a vertical slash to try to split Naruto in half. Having sheeted his sword after the initial attack, Naruto quickly draws it and tries to put up an overhead block with both hands. Almost too late does he realise that it won't be enough, and again rolls to the right. Standing up again, he sees that the chipped blade has cut clean through the tip of his blade. Thinking fast, Naruto realises that he can't continue to clash swords with his opponent, so he takes a stance with the sword in a firm two hand grip in front of him and waits for the next attack. Not needing any more invitation than that, the eleventh Captain swings a horizontal cut from his left, fully intent on cleaving his opponent in two. Seeing this, Naruto rolls forward, and in one smooth motion rises up, trying to cut into the side of his opponent (Imagine Morpheus from the Matrix reloaded when he flips the car.). Just a split second after rising fully, he is struck diagonally across the back. He cries out in pain, and falls down to his knees. In a disbelieving voice, he asks.

"How? I got past your defence, and I felt that I connected."

Walking into view, you could see that the clothing had been cut, but not a drop of blood was visible. The torn clothing would indicate a lethal hit had it pierced the skin. Still with his back turned, he scoffs.

"Tsch. Like that dull blade could ever cut me. Didn't you learn anything when you blocked my attack? When two spiritual powers clash, the strongest one will always win."

Walking away, he calls out.

"Time to go, Yachiru. Don't want to miss my afternoon nap."

Seeing that the fight is over and Kenpachi has left, SoiFon walks over. When she gets close, she can see that the wound is already healed, and the only indication that he was hurt is the blood that still remains on his clothing.

Standing up Naruto turns around and rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, I guess there are some differences in fighting a normal human compared to a Shinigami."

Deciding to scold him a bit, SoiFon flicks Naruto on the forehead with her finger, gaining his attention.

"Don't you know it's dangerous to underestimate your opponent? Kenpachi Zaraki is one of the most ruthless captains in all of soul society. You are lucky to even be alive after a fight with him."

Giving an easy grin, and with nothing more needed to be said, they continue training.

Over the next week, two other people visited Naruto. While practicing some low-level kido spells, another tall man with spiky black hair approached Naruto. This one, however, had no visible scars on his face, and his eyes were a serene aqua green colour. On his arm was the vice-Captain badge of the thirteenth division. Following him was a short girl with shoulder-length black hair and dark purple eyes. Both bowed slightly before introducing themselves.

"Hello. My name is Kaien Shiba, and I'm the vice Captain of the thirteenth division. With me, I have Rukia Kuchiki, who is my apprentice. My captain, Jushiro Ukitake wanted to be her in person, but I'm afraid his health isn't what it used to be."

Realising right away that Kaien was a decent man, Naruto gives a wide grin and bows as well.

"It is an honour to meet you, sir. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm the apprentice of Captain SoiFon. I hope we can get to know each other better."

After exchanging some idle chitchat, Kaien and Rukia decides to leave. Naruto, realising that he has two new friends, attack the kido lessons with new vigour.

In his early years, although he never could do a proper bunshin jutsu, Naruto was always proficient in the basics. He could do the (**Kawarimi**)(Body replacement) without seals and had the (**Henge**)(Transformation) down to a science. He could do the (**Henge**) so good that he invented the (**Oiroke no jutsu**)(Sexy jutsu). Likewise, did he have trouble with some kido, but some of the most basic he got down very good.

After SoiFon had explained how the incantations worked, Naruto soon realised that the incantation was no different from hand seals. The jutsu or kido could be performed without them, but if you were already proficient in the jutsu or kido, then using it would increase the power exponentially. Naruto also learned that saying the incantation in a louder voice(1) would also increase the power of the kido.

Closing his eyes in concentration, Naruto spoke the incantation and pointed towards a big rock, 50 meters away.

"'Thunderclouds gather. Wheel of fate, focus, pierce. Break the bonds!(2) Hado #4 **Byakurai**!(Pale lightning)"

Blue energy gathered around his finger, before it shot forward in a straight line. The rock was left in smoking pieces, and the single beam of pure destruction cut down four full-grown trees behind the rock.

Both Naruto and SoiFon were left gaping at the destruction. Naruto was a bit disappointed, since it was his first try. SoiFon on the other hand, was amazed that he had made a one foot wide Byakurai on his very first try.

Without thinking, Naruto, with clear disappointment in his voice starts complaining.

"Aw, man. I was really expecting more from one of the top 5 strongest kido attacks."

SoiFon just stood there, mouth still wide open, before she quickly collected herself.

"You idiot. Did you really think I would teach you the strongest kido attacks first? The number stands for the power of a spell, but it goes from low to high, not high to low."

To make a point, SoiFon shot her own Byakurai into a tree nearby, leaving a hole smaller than a baseball.

"Besides, I have never in my life seen such a powerful low level kido spell before. If you have a talent for kido, then I shiver when I think what you can do with higher level kido."

Nodding dumbly, Naruto continues his training with low level kido spells until it was time to head home.

Once back home, he cooked a quick meal with some boiled carrots, rice and chicken with herbs. Eating quickly, he soon went over to doing what he had been doing since he had been resurrected. Taking out a fine grindstone, he brought out his sword. Moving slowly, but with intention, he brought his blade down on the stone and started bringing it back and forth over the fine surface. Now and then, he would take some water from a bucket and splash over the surface of the stone, to make sure that any fine metal dust would be removed.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Curious as to who might be visiting, Naruto called out for them to enter. The door, opening automatically on his signal, opened to reveal SoiFon standing there. Seeing that she wasn't wearing her captains' haori, he cleaned his sword and put it away.

"Come in, SoiFon. Would you like something to drink?"

Having decided to visit Naruto to get to know him better (he was supposed to become her new vice Captain after all), she had become a bit curious after she had seen what he was doing. Suddenly remembering that he had asked her a question, she quickly responded.

"Some tea would be nice, thank you."

Deciding to make herself comfortable, she sat down on the corner couch and waited for him to come over. Bringing two cups with him, he sat down opposite from her and hander her one of them. Deciding to sate her curiosity first, she asked the question that first come to mind.

"So I noticed that you were sharpening your blade just now. You are aware that no matter how much you sharpen your Zanpakuto, it will not be able to cut anything unless your spirit is behind the blow?"

Grinning and scratching the back of his head, Naruto took a sip of his tea before answering.

"Well, I guess it's just a habit I have. You see, when I was alive, there was this woman that I ended up on a team with a few times. Her name was Tenten, and she was a master with all known weapons. Whenever we would camp for the night, she would always bring out some sort of weapon, and then start sharpening it or cleaning it. One night, she saw that I had nothing to do, so she thought me how to maintain my own weapons. Whenever I'm alone, or out doing missions I will start doing it whenever I have some down time."

Chatting a bit about this and that, SoiFon soon asked another question that was on her mind.

"How do you feel about being brought back to life? I mean, it's not like we could ask if you wanted to live again before you were brought back."

At this question, Naruto chuckled a bit. She sure was curious about him.

"I must say, that I have seen enough war for a lifetime. Ever since I could run, I have been training to fight for my village. At first, my village hated me. Despised and ignored, I wanted to become strong so that people would acknowledge me. On my first real mission as a ninja, I met a girl a few years older than me. She would be the one to give me a new reason to grow stronger." Naruto took a deep breath, remembering that day when Haku died, protecting her father figure.

"On that day, I stopped fighting for myself. On that day, I learned that real strength comes when you protect someone precious to you. From that day, I would train to become the strongest so I could always protect those close to me. When I died of old age, I was certain that I had done all that was in my power, and that I could finally rest in peace." Letting out a bitter chuckle, he nevertheless continued with a small smile.

"When I died, there was no afterlife. No hell or heaven, but only darkness. The darkness only lasted for what felt like a few moments before I woke up in that lab. From what was said back in the lab, it sounded like you would have expected me to get here after I died. It seems like Kami still has a purpose for me, and so long as I have some precious people, I will fight to protect them."

SoiFon, by that time, had a small tear roll from her eye. To be so brave, and having fought so much in his life, only to be called upon to once again fight. Quickly wiping it away, she discovered that she had unconsciously moved closer to the blonde and was almost three quarters of the way there. Looking at a clock on the wall, she noticed that they had talked for almost three hours straight. Quickly standing up and excusing herself, she began to move towards the door.

"I had fun tonight, SoiFon. My door is always open if you want to talk some more."

Nodding, she left without turning around, hiding a slight blush on her cheeks.

_Damn. Those blue eyes. I could easily get lost in them. His voice, so calm. And that smile. A smile that could light up even the darkest room. If only he wasn't married…_

Going to bed, Kurama suddenly spoke to him.

"**You know, kit, even after you die, you still manage to find them."**

"I know, but it's not like it's my fault. I only hope that my wives will let me live when they find out."

"**Don't worry, kit. We got your back."**

"It's not the back I'm worried about, Kurama. It's the front."

Hearing the deep laughter of the great demon fox, Naruto decides to go to sleep, dreaming about his two wives chasing him with sharp objects.

The next day, Naruto could be found sparring in hand-to-hand combat with the masked stealth force. Since this was just to learn the style, as well as getting back into fighting unarmed, it was set to light contact only. Having fought for almost half an hour straight, Naruto had built up a small sweat. Suddenly, his opponent stopped and bowed to someone behind him. Naruto turned to greet the visitors.

Before him stood a giant of a man. Reaching 2,90 meters and wearing a bulky bucket helmet with horizontal slits for his eyes. He has the captains cloak with the number seven on it. On his shoulders are metal weight pads. His arms are covered in glows with metal plate on the top, and his boots are also covered in plate iron.

At his side is a man with black hair that is cut flat on the top. He wears dark shades, has a small moustache and an open Shinigami uniform. On his arm is the badge of the vice Captain of the seventh division. Naruto thought he looked a bit like some fancy thug. (Naruto doesn't know what Yakuza are, since they would appear in the time after he was dead)

"Greetings. I am seventh division Captain Sajin Komamura, and this is my vice Captain, Tetsuzaemon Iba."

Finding the armour a bit odd, Naruto nevertheless bows and gives his own polite greeting.

"It is an honour to meet you. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I am the apprentice of Captain SoiFon."

"Yes. It is quite an honour to be apprenticed by one of the Captains. As SoiFon has accepted you, so did Genryusai-sama accept me when I first joined the Shinigami academy, but enough about that. My reason for coming here is that I heard you accepted a spar with Kenpachi Zaraki. I too would like to test you if you will allow me."

Naruto wasn't very surprised that he was challenged again. He was however, wondering about the helmet, and he was a bit wary about all the plate metal. Since he wasn't able to use his chakra, Naruto had no way near as much protection as all that metal would provide.

"I would be honoured to test my skills against another Captain. Will you test me in the blade as well?"

Giving a rough lough, the Captain responds.

"I have trained extensively in all forms of Shinigami combat. I'm sure Kenpachi gave you a run for your money in your fight, so I propose a fight in pure Hakuda (Hand to hand)."

Thinking it was a bit unfair, both because of the height advantage, as well as all the armour, Naruto never the less accepted.

As both got into their stances, Sajin couldn't help but comment on his opponent's stance.

"Even though I don't use any formal style of combat, I have studied many of the forms, ranging from Aikido to Savate, and I have never seen your style."

Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto responds with a chuckle.

"I can tell you that it isn't a common style. While I was still alive, only two other people I knew of was able to use it(3). The style died with me because my children weren't compatible with it. Preferring to either learn my wife's style, or learning from one of my best friends instead. Even if they weren't able to learn it, I was still very proud of them. If you must know, it goes by the name of Kawazu Kumite, or Frog Kata." Whipping a stray tear from his eye, Naruto resumed his stance.

Nodding at that, they both charged forward. Naruto started with a flying kick, but the large Captain sidestepped it. Not feeling deterred, Naruto quickly tried a high spin kick that was blocked by a large arm, before he was pulled into a circular throw. Naruto landed on his hands before he flipped over and charged again. Seeing he was coming, Sajin let loose a powerful hammer fist. Naruto, seeing this, barely managed to jump away at the last second. And not a second too late, for where the hand impacted the ground, it left a small crater almost a foot in diameter. Being very familiar with this type of fighting, Naruto decided to minimize the risk of being hit.

Since his reach was shorter, Naruto decided that his speed would have to do if he wanted to stay out of the hospital. Rushing in once again, Naruto let out a flurry of punches to the front of his opponent. Even if he blocked most of the blows with his large arms, Sajin was impressed by the speed and ferocity of the attack. Drawing back, he let loose a powerful straight left. Naruto ducked and tried a leg sweep, but was surprised when the large Captain flipped over it and sent a powerful heel into the top of his head.

Lying in a small crater, Naruto groaned.

"Man, that kick was almost as powerful as the punch my wife delivered when I forgot her birthday…"

Sajin, at this, was quite impressed. He had heard rumours about the fight between Naruto and Kenpachi. The rumours did say he healed fast, but the amount of power he had put into that kick would be enough to knock a vice-Captain out for a few hours. Walking over, he helped Naruto to his feet.

"That was most impressive. You withstood an attack that would take out most vice-captains. I'm truly looking forward to what you can do in the future."

Rubbing the back of his head, any visible wounds already healed, Naruto grinned a fox like grin at that.

"Well, if we fight again, I won't be such a pushover. I plan on becoming a whole lot stronger."

"And why is it that you wish to become so strong, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh, that's easy. When I was about twelve years old, while alive, I met this girl. She was quite beautiful, but misguided in some places. You see, she believed herself to be only the tool of her master. To be used like he wished, and then thrown away if broken. She was, however, right on one thing. She believed that you could only become truly strong if you fight to protect someone precious to you. Since that time, it has been my only reason to become stronger. No matter what was thrown at me, I would always find the strength to defeat those who sought to hurt my precious people." As an afterthought, he added. "Right before her master died, he did admit that he hadn't seen her as a tool in many years, but rather as his own daughter. Unfortunately, the battle that caused him his mortal wounds, also caused the girl to die only minutes after her master." Whipping away a stray tear, he concluded his story. On the side, Tetsuzaemon was crying manly tears, reminding Naruto of two people in green spandex suits.

"I thank you for telling me. If you find the time, I would like you to visit me at the seventh division barracks and tell me more of your stories."

"It would be my honour. Perhaps you could tell me some stories as well."

With that, the officers of the seventh division left Naruto to do some more training.

Over the next week, Naruto would train during the morning and day. In the evenings he would try to visit his new friends, Kaien Shiba, Rukia Kuchiki and Sajin Komamura.

The only distractions he got were when the Captain of division eight, Shunsui Kyoraku came to visit along with his vice-Captain, Nanao Ise. Naruto was glad to see that someone dared to defy the Shinigami dress code with his pink kimono with flower patterns. They ended up talking a lot, mostly about topics like women and drinking. When Naruto mentioned that he might consider continuing to write the Icha Icha books, the eight division Captain was almost drooling. After some joyous screams, promises to fund the series, and a quick beating by Nanao, they left.

The ninth division Captain, Kaname Tosen also decided to pay a visit. However, they soon started arguing about the way Kaname looked upon justice. Naruto was all for the idea of going through the least violence, but Naruto had a feeling that Kaname was hiding some darker purpose. They parted on less than friendly terms, but it hadn't come to blows between them. Like in the Elemental nations, Naruto realised that not everyone could be of equal minds, and that sometimes it was difficult to change others view on things.

Naruto, not having much else to do, would continue his training, but on this particular day, his grin could have split his face. He would finally learn how to do the **Shunpo**(Flash step). He hadn't been a slouch when it came to speed while he was alive. Rock Lee might have beaten him in a race with pure muscle power, but once Naruto started to crank up the juice, there were few who could keep up with him. The two people closest to him in speed was the fourth Raikage with his lightning cloak jutsu, and the Juubi enhanced Madara Uchiha. Even without his father's jutsu, the **Hiraishin**(Flying thunder god), he was considered the fastest, so finding a way to go fast without chakra was in Naruto's mind really exciting.

As they both sat down on the forest floor, SoiFon explained how the **Shunpo** worked. She explained that it was all about how you directed spiritual pressure into your legs, and that masters would use less steps, and therefor less time to cover a set distance. SoiFon was really enjoying teaching someone who was so dedicated to learning what she was teaching. Naruto could be a ball of energy, but when they sat down like this, he would listen intently and ask questions if it was something he didn't get right away. At the same time, she was a bit sad, and had to hold back tears a few times. Seeing that Naruto was learning the **Shunpo** brought her back to the time she was learning it from her old master, Yoruichi Shihoin. She silently wowed that she would never abandon her pupil like that.

Of course, when it came time to learn it, the first thing Naruto did was run head first into a tree. For almost ten full minutes, you could hear SoiFon's laughter ring through the woods where they were training. It wasn't a malicious laughter, and Naruto thought it sounded pretty nice. It was the first time he had heard it, and when she had settled down, he decided that he wanted to hear it more.

Learning the **Shunpo** soon turned into a game of cat and mouse, or in this case fox and bee. Naruto would chase after SoiFon, and they would occasionally laugh whenever the other would do something unexpected.

As was his habit while alive, Naruto would usually try to Shunpo between branches on some of the larger trees in the forest. The trees were nowhere close the size of those that had surrounded his home village, Konoha. Pushing off with a bit too much energy than planned, he crashed into SoiFon before they ended up a tangled mess on the forest floor. Naruto had landed on his back, and to brace himself, he had grabbed what was closest to him and pulled it close to his body.

SoiFon on the other hand, had seen what was going to happen a little too late. When she started to fall towards the ground, Naruto had grabbed her around the waist and turned around so she wouldn't get hurt. This led to her lying with her head on Naruto's chest and arms trapped by Naruto's own. She could hear his steady heartbeat, and it felt very relaxing to listen to it. Realising what position she was in, she blushed and tried to move away from the blonde ninja.

Naruto was a bit dazed after the landing. Feeling a weight on his body, he soon realized that he had grabbed SoiFon and held her close. It felt right to hold her so close, and she blushed so prettily. Feeling that she started to squirm in his grasp, he slowly let her go.

Once they were both back on their feet, they were both a bit embarrassed. Before Naruto could say anything, SoiFon beat him to the punch. There was a hint of sadness in her voice, and she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"We really shouldn't. I know that you were married, and what would your wives think when Mayuri brings them back? I'm sorry, but we should go back to a strictly professional relationship." Turning, she started to walk away. She had really enjoyed their time together, just talking and laughing. It eased the pain she felt when Yoruichi had left her, and when she was with him, she could almost forget it completely. However she had also forgotten who he was, that he wasn't free to any woman who would desire him. As she walked, unshed tears were collecting in her eyes, ready to spill at any moment.

Naruto was first a bit shocked. Whenever they were talking or training, she would lighten up considerably, so it was clear that she enjoyed his company. That she would think of him first, coupled with her laugh and her cute blush whenever they were close. She would go out of her way to train him, she would answer any questions he had, and help him if he needed it. Very few people in Naruto's early life had done that for him, and it made him harden his resolve.

Softly grabbing her arm, he held her back, before slowly turning her around and looking right into her eyes. He could see the pain in them clear as day. The same pain he had seen right after he had woken up, only that now it seemed greater. He could see that her tears had started to roll down her slender face. Doing what felt natural he pulled her close and stroke her hair softly while she wept on his chest.

Not knowing her original pain, Naruto could only stand there and whisper soothing words while she let all her emotions out.

When she had finally calmed down, it was already dark, but Naruto didn't mind. She had bottled up all that pain for so long, but now that she had let it all out, they could move on. Carefully lifting her face, he gently wiped away her tears with his thumb. In a caring voice, he spoke.

"It looks like we both have traumatizing pasts. The difference between us is that I found people to help me deal with the pain. Let me be the one to ease your pain."

She could see the sincerity and compassion in his eyes. Those deep blue eyes that she wouldn't mind drowning in. They were focusing on her with such an intensity that they almost glowed. Having been alone for almost fifty years, she suddenly felt scared. How would she be able to love someone? Did she even know what love was anymore? Weakly, she tried to argue.

"But what about your other wives? Surely they will hate me for trying to steal their man away?"

Naruto only thought for a second before he responded.

"So it might be a bit hard in the beginning. They are both reasonable people, so I'm sure they will only take it out on me, and not you." As an afterthought, he added. "We all loved each other very much, so I'm sure they can forgive. However, they might decide to test you in some way. I remember when Sakura asked me if I still loved her… When I said yes, she and Hinata had an all-out battle that tore up an entire training ground before they came to an agreement. I even had to hire a few genin teams to clean up all the holes and uprooted trees."

Feeling a bit nervous at that, SoiFon made up her mind and steeled her features.

"If that's what it takes for me to gain their acceptance, then I'll do it. However, I'm unsure how we should proceed. After being alone for so long, I don't know what couples tend to do."

Naruto chuckled a bit at that.

"Oh, that's easy. We will simply have to go on a date. Nothing too fancy. Just the two of us eating together. How about my place, Saturday at 17.00? That should give us both enough time to get some casual clothes, and I can make us a nice dinner."

SoiFon was still a bit unsure. Being alone for so long had made her seek out romance novels, and they all stated that at this point, they should be kissing and being madly in love. Seeing that Naruto had some experience on that particular field, she decided to just go along with it and see where it would lead them.

Remembering that it had gotten late, they decided that it was time to head home. Naruto had carefully taken her small hand into his larger hand while they walked back. On the way, he would ask her what she thought about the other Captains. He had gotten quite good at reading people, but he was still unsure about some of them.

Having finally reached their destination, Naruto gave SoiFon a quick hug before wishing her a good night. Blushing quite a bit, SoiFon almost ran into her room so she could escape. Naruto just chuckled before heading towards his own room.

Once inside, Naruto went through his usual ritual, which consists of a light meal, brushing his teeth, and finally going over his sword with a wet stone. Just before he was about to hit the bed, he heard an unfamiliar voice speak inside his head.

"**Naruto Uzumaki. It is time we spoke, and you are ready…"**

**Omake: Hell, butterfly.**

Naruto was sitting across from SoiFon. Lecture position activated. Eyes locked on the target, ears focused. Arm ready to shoot to the sky if he had any questions. She were teaching him general stuff that every Shinigami needs to know, like what squads have what responsibility, correct conduct in the presence of a seated officer and other things.

"… Then you place the pommel of your Zanpakuto on the soul's head, and he is then transported here. That's how you perform the Konso (Soul burial). Any questions?"

Naruto shook his head. Usually, the lectures were pretty straight forward, and it did help that SoiFon was pretty good at explaining stuff. He had heard a rumour that Byakuya Kuchiki always used complex diagrams with bunnies. He hoped he never had to see that for the rest of his undead life.

SoiFon was very happy. Whenever Naruto needed to learn anything he would quickly get the concept, and what he didn't get would be learned in a very short amount of time.

"Good. Next we have the Jigokucho (Hell butterfly)…"

Almost faster than the eye could track, his hand was in the air. He could still remember when he had interrupted without being given permission. It was like she had intentionally hit random spots on his body with her Shikai. She hadn't even aimed at any of his vitals.

Giving him the go ahead, he asked probably the most strange question ever.

"Why do they call them hell butterflies? Aren't we as far away from hell as possible?"

SoiFon sighed in frustration. He was usually the perfect student, but some times he would just get the weirdest ideas and had to voice them.

"Well… The name is probably because of the colour and shape… I mean, it's basically a pitch black butterfly."

Seeing that he is nodding as if understanding, she continues her lecture.

"The hell butterfly is often seen as a symbol of change. The twelfth division has researched them, and they have found out that the hell butterfly is actually a soul that is waiting to be reborn.(4) For a Shinigami, the hell butterfly have many functions. A hell butterfly will safely guide the souls that have been cleansed by the soul burial to Soul Society. When you are going to the human world, a hell butterfly will guide you without having to pass through the Dangai (Precipice world). The last use for it is also quite practical. For you see, the hell butterfly can take a message, and deliver it to certain people. If you should make a message, you would only have to let the butterfly land on your finger, then feed it some of your spiritual pressure while thinking the exact message you want delivered, along with who you want to receive it. Simple, right?"

Naruto looked thoughtful, but not confused. That was a good sign. He would usually think new information over for a minute or so before he would either understand or ask questions to clarify something.

"So they are like message birds. Able to carry a message to different people. Only that more than one person can receive the same message?"

SoiFon was happy that he had understood the general concept.

"That is correct. I brought with me a hell butterfly for you to practice with. I want you to try and send a message to me, and then you will receive a message as well, just to make sure you understand it."

Nodding, Naruto let out his finger so the butterfly could land on it. Once it had done that, Naruto's face displayed concentration, before a massive wave of spiritual pressure was released. It only took five seconds before almost one hundred hell butterflies swarmed Naruto.

They both laughed after that. Naruto out of embarrassment, and SoiFon because she had never seen something like that happen in all her years as a Shinigami. After all but the one hell butterfly had been shoed away, Naruto tried again. Letting out only a barely noticeable amount of spiritual pressure.

SoiFon let out her finger so the butterfly could land on her finger. Once it did, she fed it some of her own spiritual pressure to hear the message.

"One, two, three. Testing, testing. Is this thing on? Damn, it's hard to focus while doing this… **Hey, Naruto. I know it's a bad time, but what do you think about SoiFon? I bet you could do a lot of fun things with her petite body… **Shut up Kurama. It's hard enough to concentrate if I don't have to think about her sexy body… Damn. Did it record that as well?..."

SoiFon could only blush bright red before she promptly fainted…

**AN:**

Ok, so this is my longest chapter to date by almost 3k words. I've never written anything of this magnitude before so I hope I get credit where credit is due (I know that some crazy people put out 15k chapters and stuff, but seriously. I'm a mortal, so don't compare me to those demiwhatevers.)

Before anyone asks, I'm strictly limiting this fic to four girls for Naruto. This is my first fic, and it has been my intention since I had the idea that started it all.

Also, I wonder who that mysterious voice is… Well… I'm not really, but I really hope that you guys do (Or perhaps I'm too transparent?). Anyways, read, destroy some cars, then think about what you have done.

PS. Yes, the fights are short now. Did you really expect Naruto to go toe to toe with Captains who are master class at their fighting dicipline? Give it some time. Naruto will be powerfull before i can start any significant amount of the bleach storyline.

PPS. I'm building up his relationship with SoiFon. They won't be going at it like rabbits after just one date, you can be sure of that :p

(1) Seriously. It's anime law #44: Law of nominative clamovocation, or the Kamehameha effect.(Can be found on my profile) However this will not be a factor in my fic because every attack will be spoken in the loudest voice possible every time :p

(2) Yes, I know that Hado #4. **Byakurai** doesn't have an incantation in canon. Big deal. I made it up, and it gives me the Goosebumps every time I read it. Seriously, if you start questioning if stuff are canon or not, then I can tell you right now that it stopped being canon the second I put Naruto into the Bleach universe, so give it a rest.

(3) I know that it wasn't mentioned in the manga or anything, but I figured that Minato would learn at least some of the fighting style if he had been a toad summoner for so long. So that's the first person, the second is none other than Jiraiya. The style wouldn't be half as effective if the person couldn't use sage chakra, so I figured that none of Naruto's kids would learn it.

(4) I'm not sure if this is real, because the wiki is limited on hell butterflies… It sounds reasonable enough, but it's not canon, and probably never will be. If anyone knows anything else, please say so in a review/pm.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:**

Hi again.

I have gotten such good responses from my reviewers, and it makes me so happy :D

You guys are amazing, and I can't thank you enough for your encouragement and support :)

As a sort of "thank you" for all your support, I give you my longest chapter to date. I have tried my hardest to make Naruto an original Shikai, so I hope I won't disappoint you guys :) (Know that the name is not set in stone, so if I get good reasons, I will change it. (Note that the name was made through google translate, so any wrong grammar is unintentional.))

Anyways, I hope that you enjoy this chapter, and know that I try to do my best for you readers :)

Speech:"hi"

Thoughts:_Interesting_

Biju/Zanpakutö thought/speech: **"RAAAWR!"**

Shinigami techniques/Jutsu: (**Sexy jutsu/Oiroke no jutsu/Hado #4: Byakurai) **

Incantation for kido spells: 'Ye lord! Mask of flesh and blood…'

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Naruto. Tite Kubo owns Bleach and Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto. Can we truly say we own anything? I mean, every single atom that our bodies are made from will be changed out in the period of 7 years. Just saying…**

Chapter 4: Regret and revelations.

"**Naruto Uzumaki. It is time we spoke, and you are ready to know my name."**

Naruto was at first a bit worried, however the voice didn't sound malicious or evil. Naruto was naturally very curious to new things, so the sooner he could find out who that voice belonged to, the better. As he sat down on his bed, he sent a look towards his Zanpakuto. SoiFon did mention that his Zanpakuto would tell him its name, so he would guess that the voice he heard belonged to his sword. Taking a deep breath, he went into the lotus position so he could access his mind more easily.

**First division barracks:**

The Captain Commander sat behind his desk, reading some status reports from his other Captains. His eyes were sharp, but his mind wasn't focused on the task at hand. He didn't like to admit it, but he had made many mistakes in his long career as Captain Commander. Among those were the individual training that the members of the different squads received. He was also regretful that there was so much infighting between the different squads. His second biggest regret was how he had handled the situation, almost fifty years ago, that led to the exile of eleven high-ranking officers.

His biggest regret was made quite recently, and it was this mistake that gnawed at both his heart and soul. This biggest mistake could perhaps have been avoided altogether, but that would require that he reversed time, to prevent some of the other mistakes he had already made.

_Had the Shinigami at his disposal received the proper training, then perhaps they wouldn't have needed to find help from outside_. At this he shook his head violently. He would not become so arrogant that he would refuse help just to save his pride. He had been so arrogant once, and it had almost cost him everything.

Going back to the reports, he could read from almost all of them that one Naruto Uzumaki was growing stronger by the day. If that wasn't scary enough in itself, he had mentioned that his other power source had been sealed away. What would happen when he unsealed it? How strong would he become? Even with all that power, without realising it, Naruto Uzumaki had accepted a huge responsibility by agreeing to help them. Or perhaps he had realised it, but still accepted, because he felt that he would be the only one to handle it.

Coming to a decision, the Captain Commander decided that he would explain the real reason why they had chosen to resurrect him…

**Inside Naruto's mind:**

Like always, Naruto would materialize in the centre of the Yin/Yang seal that made up the floor. This was the deepest level of his mind, where the tailed beasts could all gather and talk together. After he had gotten the other tailed beasts, he had removed the sewer from his mind and replaced it with several levels, one unique for each tailed beast. The tailed beasts could still talk with each other, but they would be unable to talk face to face unless they gathered in this, the deepest level.

As always, the tailed beasts were waiting for him. They showed no discomfort or anger, but they would often shoot curious glances towards a small person that stood to the side. She looked like a child no older than ten years, and she wore what looked like a white nightgown with frills at the hem and had blonde spikey hair that fell down to her lower back. She was standing with her right side towards him, and it looked like she was playing with a ball connected to a piece of string.

Walking towards her, he suddenly realised two things. The first was that the left side of her face was completely covered by blonde bangs. She had a nicely shaped face, a happy smile, and sparkly ocean-blue eyes. The second was that what he had mistaken for a ball, was in fact a large yo-yo. It was roughly the size of a coconut with orange and blue stripes along the edge. In the middle, on the side facing him was what looked like a red Uzumaki spiral. (He had learned that it was in fact his family crest while he was traveling around with Jiraiya.) When he had gotten within three meters of her, she suddenly spoke in a happy and excited voice.

"**Hello, Naruto Uzumaki. I'm so glad we can finally meet. I'm really happy that you were able to hear my voice. You know that some people either can't hear it, or they chose to ignore it, but you did neither. By the way you care for me every night, I'm sure we will be the best of friends."**

Naruto wasn't quite sure what to say. He had no experience with sentient weapons while he was alive. Except for at the receiving end of Samehada… A bit awkwardly he spoke.

"Um… I'm glad to meet you to. I always try to take good care of my weapons, but I have a feeling that you are way more than just a simple sword. SoiFon spoke something about the Zanpakuto being a manifestation of my spirit. If that were true, then it would mean that I'm a part of you, and you are a part of me. I figured that if I take care of you, then you will take care of me.

Like if he was encouraged, he gained more confidence as he spoke. By the end, it felt like they had known each other all their lives.

Suddenly, there was a change. The bangs that were framing the left side of her face had now moved to cover the right side. Instead of the sparkling ocean-blue eye he had been expecting, there stared a deep crimson eye towards him, and her mouth was a thin line. This put Naruto slightly on guard, although he didn't sense anything sinister from her. In a serious, but calm tone, she suddenly spoke.

"**You have nothing to fear from me. I am merely the other personality of your spirit. Where my counterpart is always cheerful and exited, I will remain serious and calm. We are a reflection of you. Where you are normally smiling and goofing around, you can turn serious at the blink of an eye if necessary. This will also show whenever you release your Shikai. However, in order for you to achieve your Shikai, you will have to fight me."**

Suddenly, the yo-yo disappeared, and a sword similar to the one strapped to Naruto's hip materialized in her left hand. Naruto realised that there would be time to talk later, unsheathed his own sword. As they both stood in a ready position, Naruto pondered how he should do this. He knew enough about himself, that it would be foolish to underestimate his opponent, even if he was almost a foot taller than she was.

Before he could decide on a strategy, her hair suddenly changed back to the ocean-blue eye. She moved the sword to her right hand before suddenly exclaiming in a happy voice.

"**I hope you are ready, because I want to play."**

Slightly taken aback by the sudden shift, Naruto wasn't prepared when she suddenly shot forward at a speed he thought unlikely for someone her size. She jumped up and spun horizontally before delivering a downward strike. Naruto was barely able to put up a block in time to deflect the blow. Trying to go for a counter attack, Naruto sent away a horizontal cut, but the short girl just spun back and started to giggle.

"**That was fun. I hope we can play lots more."**

She suddenly started spinning with her sword extended to the side. Almost like a top, she charged him, and he could only block the rapid spinning attacks. After blocking almost a dozen slashes, he jumped back to get some space. Suddenly, she stopped spinning and fell to the ground holding her head.

"**The world is spinning… So dizzy…"**

Slowly walking forward, Naruto was completely unprepared when she suddenly rolled back before lunging at him. A thin gash formed on his chin, before blood slowly began to drip from the wound. Standing with her back turned, she now stood a bit straighter, and she had the sword in her left hand.

Naruto had been caught flat-footed. If she were able to change like that in the middle of battle, it could throw him off his game. She truly was a dangerous opponent.

"**There is a time for games, but that time is not now. Now it's my turn."**

Charging towards him, she sent a flurry of strikes and stabs that were all meant to do serious harm. Naruto had no time to counter attack, because he had to block, parry or dodge if he wanted to walk away from this fight in one piece. He had several small lacerations all over his body and he was breathing hard. She was pushing him to his limits, and there was only so much he could do to stay one step ahead.

Suddenly, she jumped back about twenty feet. Naruto was once again wary, because she could swiftly lunge for him, or perhaps she would change back to her other personality. She did neither. She stood completely still, and suddenly spoke in a quiet voice.

"**You have done well to survive for so long, but now you have to make a choice."**

From out of nowhere, two figures materialized before him. He only needed one glance to know who they were, because he had been with them for a lifetime. All the fight drained from his body when he saw them.

They were both dressed in the ninja gear that they had used in the fourth great shinobi war. Hinata had two shoulder length bangs framing her face, and the rest of her hair going down to her lower back. Sakura had her hair only to shoulder length, splitting in the front to frame her face. They both wore the standard chunin flak jacket and deep blue pants and long sleeved shirts.

They were both on their knees with arms and legs bound behind their backs. They were both gagged and when they saw him, tears started to form in their eyes. His heart was breaking when he looked at them. So helpless before him. He wanted nothing more than to run over to them. To free them, hug them and kiss them. Telling them that it would be alright. He felt dread welling up inside him when his opponent put her sword to their throats, ready to spill their blood should he make one wrong move. Suddenly she spoke in a more sinister voice.

"**This is the end of the line. Their lives are in my hand, as is yours. If you wish for them to live, you must plunge your blade into your stomach. The choice is yours, your life in exchange for theirs."**

To add emphasis to her words, she gave them both a shallow cut on their throat, letting a small bit of blood run down their necks. At this point they started to whimper, tears streaming down their faces.

Naruto stood there frozen for only a second. Having realised a long time ago that his life had no meaning if he didn't have anyone to share it with, there was only one option open to him. With not one word, he turned the sword in his hands and raised it up. To save those he loved, he would be willing to die a hundred times if necessary. Seeing what he was about to do, his two wives gave muffled screams, but to no avail. Naruto trust his blade into his stomach before falling to his knees.

He looked down and saw blood flow from his wound. Except for the initial shock when the blade had entered his flesh, there was no pain. Looking up, he saw that his wives were fading away, and the little girl came running towards him. He could see tears streaming from her ocean-blue eye before she flung herself onto him and hugged him fiercely. In a tear-filled and regretting voice she spoke.

"**I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."**

She cried for what felt like hours before she finally calmed down enough and carefully remove the sword that was still embedded in his stomach. The stomach wound along with the other cuts he had received disappeared as if he had never sustained them at all. In a calmer, but still sad voice, she spoke to him.

"**I'm sorry for what we did, but it had to be done. It was breaking our hearts to threaten our precious people, but we had to be sure. Your Zanpakuto is very special, Naruto Uzumaki."**

Naruto managed to stay focused even though he was physically as well as mentally exhausted, because this would be important. He didn't like the way they had tested him, but he assumed that they had a good reason for it. In a soft and caring voice, he asked the obvious question.

"Special in what way? I thought all Zanpakuto were different. What would separate my Zanpakuto from others?"

She chuckled brightly at that, before the bangs covered her blue eye. The deep crimson eye was a bit puffy, and there were lines down her face that indicated that she too had cried.

Her voice was a bit subdued, but still had an air of seriousness about it as she spoke.

"**I'm sorry too. It hurt me deeply to be the one who had to inflict any damage to our precious people. However, it had to be done in order to see if you still kept your noble spirit and unwavering heart. You are an amazing person Naruto Uzumaki, always willing to put others before yourself. It is because of this that your Zanpakuto has been blessed with an amazing ability. After this conversation, you will receive this ability along with how to activate your Shikai should you ever need it." **Taking a deep breath, she continued.

"**In life, you would always protect those precious to you. Your Zanpakuto will therefore be unable to harm those of pure heart and soul. Kami saw fit to give you this ability because she would fear what would happen to both you and your precious people when you unleash your full power." **Stopping, as if being reminded about something, she starts talking again.

"**We will help you in mastering your Shikai, but we can only do so much. There are certain techniques that we will teach you, but to master it, you will have to train relentlessly."**

Naruto sat there dumbstruck. Kami herself had taken an interest in him. Even going so far as to give him such an amazing gift. Suddenly, he hugged her tightly and started laughing. He felt so happy that he cried a few tears of joy.

Since the moment he had learned that he was the jinchuuriki, he had been wary of all the power he contained. How easy it would have been to just unleash it all, let go of himself and drown in all that power. Through the years, he had lost control only a few times, but it was always a great rush to receive all that power. At some point he even started to fear it, fear what it could do not just to him but to those close to him as well. Slowly, he had been able to tame that massive power by befriending the source. He and Kurama had become friends, and after that they started to watch each other's backs. Still he had to be careful. With all that power at his disposal, he would only need to slip up once to hurt or possibly kill someone close to him.

Now that had changed. Thanks to Kami, a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He would no longer have to fear accidents where his friends and precious people were hurt because of him.

Feeling incredibly tired, he let go of his Zanpakuto spirit, and just smiled. It was a truly happy smile, and it felt like the room got just a bit brighter because of it. Seeing that he was exhausted, the Zanpakuto spirit began to fade away along with the room.

"**Remember that I will always be with you should you need me. Should you require my assistance in battle, just call my name. Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself yet… Naruto Uzumaki, my name is Asobi-suki shinkoku, Rasen-j****ō**** (****遊び好き深刻****, ****らせん状****) (Playful and serious, Spiral)."**

With that, Naruto opened his eyes and saw that he was still sitting in the lotus position on his bed. Feeling tired beyond belief, he quickly undressed and went to sleep. Dreaming about how he and his Zanpakuto spirit would protect everyone.

**Inside Naruto's mind.**

A figure walked out of the shadows. He had long blonde hair set in a spikey ponytail and three black lines on each cheek. He had blood red eyes that were staring at the nine tailed beasts. Kurama, who had been with Naruto the longest, knew who it was.

"**So I see that you are back. It's been nearly sixty years since I saw you the last time."**

The figure gave a short laugh at that. A malicious laugh that sent shivers down the spines of those who listened to it. The other tailed beasts pulled back a bit, since it was clear that the figure had its sole focus on the great fox.

"He might have defeated me the last time, but as you know, I can never truly disappear. Fear not, for it is still too soon for my plans to be set in motion. And this time, I plan on taking full control."

With that, the figure fused back with the shadows, erasing all physical evidence that he had been there. Kurama gave a meaningful glance to each of the other tailed beasts. There truly wasn't a dull moment with Naruto around.

**The next morning.**

Naruto woke up feeling relaxed, despite having been thoroughly exhausted the previous night. He felt more at peace after all that was said last night.

He went to the bathroom for a quick shower before he started to make breakfast. As he slowly ate, he thought about the clothes he should wear for his date with SoiFon. He had mentioned that they should dress casually, and his mind went to the first date he had with Hinata.

**Flashback.**

Kakashi stood before his student, looking him over. After the war had ended, he had realised how little he had done for his old team. When Naruto had asked him and Iruka about advice for how he should dress for his date, Kakashi had seen this as an opportunity to show that he wanted to change. Had it been before the war, Kakashi would have invented some excuse so he wouldn't have to show up, but this time he had even been on time. Everyone who had been nearby had started searching the sky to see if Shizune's pet pig, Tonton had learned to fly. Not finding Tonton in the sky, they decided that it was a high-powered genjutsu and just went on with their business like nothing had happened. Being terrible at genjutsu didn't stop Naruto from trying to dispel the supposed genjutsu. And this led to almost the entire shinobi population had started screamed for him to stop blasting his chakra around.

Realising that he had been a terrible person and teacher, Kakashi picked out clothes with a vigour only seen in Gai and Rock Lee previously. With the help from Iruka, they managed to pick out a few outfits for Naruto.

Naruto was a bit sad that his outfits had so little orange, but realised that he didn't need to be completely covered in it to honour his parents. Even after he had become a ninja, it felt right to wear orange. He couldn't explain it until after he had met both his parents inside his seal. When he had seen them both, something clicked in his mind and he had realised why it was so important to wear orange. Mixing yellow and red would make orange after all.

His current outfit consisted of a white short-sleeved button up shirt with the Uzumaki spiral over his heart. Over that he wore an open black jacked that had the sleeves folded up to show off his sleek, yet muscular arms. His pants were black with three orange stripes going diagonally down each leg. The stripes looked like claw marks, and added to his feral look.

As Kakashi looked him over, he was again reminded of how much Naruto resembled his father. He had the same facial structure as his mother, but the hair and those deep blue eyes couldn't be mistaken. Kakashi felt a pang of guilt for overlooking this in his earlier days as a genin sensei. How strong could his team have become if he had trained them seriously? He had truly failed, but it looked like both Kami-sama and Naruto were willing to give him a second chance. Giving his famous eye-smile, he gave the thumbs up to indicate that he was satisfied.

Meanwhile, Naruto had been in his own world. He knew that Hinata was always terribly shy around him. She had admitted to him that she had been watching him from the shadows for many years, but never had the courage to approach him. As they became genin, her shell had started to crack more and more. During the Pain invasion, she had admitted that she had loved him for a long time. He had been unable to respond to it at the time because he needed to become stronger if he wanted to protect everyone from the coming war. During said war, she had mustered up the courage to kiss him. This action had fuelled his desire to make swift work of the war.

He had shown the needed resolve, and earned the thrust of the other tailed beasts, allowing him to absorb their power. With their power, along with the other rookie 11, Kakashi and Gai, they had managed to defeat the enemy and claim victory.

It was ironic how he could stare down the strongest of enemies, fighting a battle where the outcome might be the destruction of the human race without a fear in the world. But when it comes to a simple date with a beautiful woman, his nerves were in tatters.

Returning to reality, he saw that Kakashi was giving his patented eye-smile and thumbs up, while Iruka was nodding his agreement. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out to meet his date, forgetting to pay for his outfit in the process.

**Flashback end.**

As he finished his breakfast, Naruto was really excited. Not only because of the upcoming date, but also because he couldn't wait to train with his new Shikai. Having learned about it only last night, he hadn't had the time to summon it yet. No one had seen it yet, so he would make it a surprise during his Zanjutsu training with SoiFon later. But before that, he had to do his regular workout.

Talking about his regular work out… In the beginning, the Vice-Captain had arrogantly stated that Naruto was no good. He had been surprised the first time Naruto had completed the regular workout without complain. He had increased the workout, hoping to make the commoner drop out. This had just made Naruto work harder, until the Vice-Captain would turn to his newest tactic. Instead of trying to put him down, or even increase his training, the Vice-Captain had simply turned his back on him and started lazing in the shadow of a nearby tree. He was frustrated that this commoner seemed to grow stronger each day. It wasn't that he was afraid for his position, he was from a rich noble family after all. It was the fact that he didn't believe this commoner had anything to do in the second squad at all. Nothing he did would drive home that Naruto didn't belong here. He was just short of tampering with his training, but his Captain would give him the asskicking of his life if he did.

With a small sigh, Naruto prepared for his workout. The Vice-Captain could easily become twice as strong if he just took training seriously. However, similarly to a certain Hyuuga branch member; he believed that being from a rich and powerful family made you superior to everyone else. Well, Naruto had given him a good beating, and that had snapped him out of it. Perhaps he should beat some sense into his Vice-Captain as well. However, it was still too early to show his power. People would get suspicious if he were to advance in the ranks too quickly. He could chalk some of it to being trained personally by one of the Captains, but that only went so far. He would have to hold back if he didn't want most of the Captains attention focused on him. He would also have to make the eventual match for Vice-Captain look like a close race.

Having decided on a light workout today, Naruto finished with some time to spare before his Zanjutsu training would start. Deciding to take a quick shower, he had to hurry if he wanted to get all the shopping done. There would be no time after training, and he wouldn't mess up this date if he could help it.

Since Naruto was a Shinigami apprentice, he had been allowed to do his own shopping if he ever needed it. He had never seen them, but the fridge would always restock itself each morning, so he guessed someone had the job of restocking basic food wares. Should he want something special or more exotic, he would have to buy it himself, hence why he was heading toward the Rukongai districts.

Naruto had been to the upper Rukongai districts a few times already. They were numbered into sections of the four directions of the compass. Each of the four sections had eighty districts, where the number indicated how close they are to the Seireitei.

Naruto had noted that the lower number districts looked very much like the clan district in Konoha. These districts held wealthy people and specialized, wealthy businesses, as well as some of the prominent clans that Soul Society had.

Naruto would guess that the higher the number, the more slum-like the district would look. Naruto having lived at the border of the slum himself was able to take an educated guess as to what happened in the higher numbered districts.

Naruto put that out of his mind for now. There were shops inside the Seireitei, but he had asked around, and most people would recommend going to the tenth district. The reason for this was that the tenth district was a grand market district. Because of the proximity to Seireitei, the prices were bordering to the high range, but you were always guaranteed a high quality on your products, which was why so many had recommended it.

Feeling both exited and a bit guilty, Naruto was marching towards the tenth district with purpose. Excited because he was truly looking forward to the date. Sure, he had many girls trying to get a piece of his heart for themselves, but as with Sakura and Hinata, he greatly enjoyed the time he spent with SoiFon. When she had opened up to him in the forest, it had felt right to hold her. To sooth her worries and pain. He had learned what love was a long time ago, and what he was beginning to feel after all the training and spending time with SoiFon was all leading strongly in that direction. He would not deny his feelings, however this lead to why he felt a bit guilty.

Naruto, after the war, had been recognised as a new clan head. Although neither of his parents had been clan heads before him, his mother had come from a prominent clan from the island nation of Uzugakure, located at the eastern coast of fire country. Although Naruto had learned that Nagato, or Pain as he called himself, was an Uzumaki as well, the clan was supposed to be extinct except for himself. He had been a bit saddened when he discovered this, but had vowed that he would try to revive the clan. As he had been recognised as a clan head, he was asked to take multiple wives, which was the reason why he had been allowed to marry both Hinata and Sakura.

It hadn't been easy, as there was a lot of friction in the beginning. Thankfully, Naruto had a big heart, so he was able to love them both equally. This, along with both his wives knowing and accepting each other had helped them start a stable family together. On several occasions, they had all entertained the idea of more wives, to help expand the clan. After many heated discussions on the topic, they had managed to agree on a few conditions, should someone else wish to marry Naruto. The first was that, given Naruto's ability to read people, he must be able to love the person. They all figured that they didn't want some loveless marriage. The second was that the other wives would have to approve of the potential newcomer. This was to make sure there would be no infighting between the girls. How this was done, was left to the individual wife, however it could easily end in a life or death situation.

The reason Naruto was guilty was that, at the pace they were moving in the relationship, there was a chance that his other wives wouldn't be resurrected in time before their relationship went to the next level. His wives had at the few occasions that a new potential wife was introduced, tested her after less than two months after the first date. Since Naruto had a certain flare for changing the way people viewed him, his wives had deemed this as the changing point where a potential partner would either pass or fail the standards set to be one of his wives.

So engrossed in his thoughts, Naruto almost failed to notice that he had walked past the clothing store where he had planned to buy his outfit for tonight. He had opted to buy his clothes first, so the food wouldn't spoil before he had the time to put it in his fridge. Turning on his heel, he walked back and entered the shop.

A bell rang as he opened the door, signalling to the owner that he had a costumer. Naruto wouldn't have time to get something custom made, so his eyes swept over the inventory. Taking in the store, he took note of an older man with grey hair standing behind a beautifully carved oaken desk. The old man stood at about 5', 10" and had on a brown kimono that highlighted his emerald green eyes. When he saw Naruto come in, he bowed before introducing himself.

"Greetings, young man. My name is Takashi, and I'm the owner of Takashi clothing shop(1). If you see anything you like, you can try it out in the changing rooms in the back. If you want something custom made, you can come talk to me, however depending on what it is it might take a while to make."

Had Naruto been his twelve-year old self, he wouldn't have known how to take it if a shop keeper had been so nice to him. Having been thrown out of most shops before he had finally become a ninja. However, he had gained a reputation after the war, which had made the people go out of their way to try to be nice to him. He was happy that he was treated like a human being, and that the clerk was doing his job in such a professional manner, so he returned the bow before introducing himself.

"Hello. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I would be happy to check out your wares. I need some casual clothes for a date this evening, and perhaps when that is done, we can talk about a custom order I want to place."

Waving his hand, indicating where he should look, Takashi replied.

"I have quite the selection, so you should find what you are looking for among that section. When you are ready, just ring the bell on my desk and I'll be back."

With a nod, Naruto went over to the rows with clothes. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Takashi was walking through a door behind the desk, probably leading to a back room. Already having an idea of what he wanted, Naruto soon found what he was looking for. Picking out a black leather jacket with a zipper running down the right side, a tight white button up shirt with orange swirls on his left side and some black slack pants with two red stripes going diagonally on each leg. He went into the changing room to make sure they were all the right size, before he went and rung the bell.

Not half a minute later, Takashi was back, and adding the price for the items. Naruto had been given a bit of cash should he need it, but he would soon have to start doing missions to earn more. He counted out the money and handed it to Takashi before he broached the subject of some specially made clothes.

"Would it be possible to make me a leather cloak with arms and a hood? It would need to be a bit loose for easy mobility, and I would prefer if the colour was a burnt orange with nine black swirls on the back forming a square."

Giving a few moments to think, Takeshi soon replied.

"Seeing as you are a Shinigami, I would guess that you want this cloak made so it could withstand combat, am I right?" receiving a nod, he continued. "I'm afraid I don't specialise in that type of clothing, but luckily I know an exceptional leather worker here in the tenth district that could probably make it for you. She lives at the very edge of the district, but just ask for Yuzuki, and you should be able to get directions."

Giving a nod in satisfaction, Naruto left with some parting words.

"Thanks a lot. I'll be sure to buy my clothes here from now on."

Seeing that he had little time left, he hurried further into the district in search of some fresh food for the date.

As Naruto was heading back to the barracks, he contemplated his situation. As a ninja, deception was one of the most important aspects of your life. A ninja who excelled in deception would often live longer than someone who only relied on power alone. Since Naruto had awakened, he had been putting up his best act to be polite and pleasant to everyone he met. This was both to protect himself and to hide his true feelings.

As his fight with both Kenpachi and Sajin had shown him, he was still lacking greatly in strength, so he had to be careful to not step on the toes of anyone important. They could easily kill him if they saw him as an enemy, so he would tread carefully for the time being.

They said he was resurrected to help fight hollows, but somehow, Naruto felt that the truth was so much more. They would probably watch out for him, which was probably why he had been placed so close to the stealth force.

He would play his cards close to his west, but at the same time would he not deny anything that was given to him. He had suspected that SoiFon might be a spy, meant to get close to him. He couldn't be sure, because he knew nothing of her, but he would still go out of his way for her. His feelings for her were real enough, and he could only hope that if it had been an assignment on her part, that he could help her enjoy it.

He didn't trust the other Captains either. It did seem suspicious that so many of them would go out of their way to check up on him. However, he would do nothing unless they gave him a reason to do so. He greatly appreciated the time he had spent so far with Sajin and Kaien after all.

Shaking his head to get rid of such thoughts, Naruto quickly made his way back before putting his groceries away. Having put the food in the fridge, he quickly left to start his Zanjutsu training for the day. Boy, was SoiFon going to be surprised.

As SoiFon waited for him, she noticed that he had an extra spring in his steps as he walked up to her. She supposed he might just be excited about their upcoming date. When she thought about it, she was excited too, however she hid it well behind her professional mask. She noticed his eyes. They held something more than the usual happiness that they usually held when they were training. She felt a slight shiver go down her spine as she hoped he would tell her what it was. She had the natural curiosity of a cat, which she attributed to having Yaruichi as a sensei.

As he came up to her, he eyed her sword for a second before he set his face into a foxy grin before they both took their respective stances. SoiFon had drawn only a few inches of her blade, while keeping her knees slightly bent in preparations for kicking off swiftly. Naruto held his blade in a two hand grip pointing towards SoiFon, his stance with his left side towards his opponent, knees bent and sword raised up to almost eye-level(Check out kill bill during the massive fight with the mad 88).

Without a word spoken, they both dashed forward and met in a shower of sparks, blades locked in a stalemate above their heads. Seeing that trying to overpower her would be futile, Naruto leapt back before charging in from the side. As he went, he ran in an arc, closing in on his opponent. When he got close, he twisted with his blade held out at hip level, sending a horizontal slash at her stomach. Having great experience, SoiFon expertly diverted the blade from making contact with her flesh.

Not feeling deterred in the slightest, Naruto spun in mid-air while sending a vertical slash almost like a buzz saw towards the woman's head. She rolled back, seeing as the attack would be strengthened by both gravity and centrifugal forces. She took note that she had never seen this type of attack pattern from the blonde before. Deciding to taunt him a bit, she let out a bark of laugh.

"Ha. Is that all the great Naruto Uzumaki can do? I was seriously expecting more from you."

Naruto stopped at this, his bangs covering his face so she couldn't see it. Speaking in a low, but clearly amused voice, he replied.

"Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it…"

She was a bit anxious now. Excited what he might do, yet there was a bit of foreboding in his voice. She shivered slightly as she felt his spiritual pressure rise. She heard him speak in a low, yet happy tone.

"Come out and play. **Asobi-suki shinkoku, Rasen-jō** (遊び好き深刻, らせん状) (Playful and serious, Spiral)"

He was suddenly engulfed in smoke, before you could hear coughing.

"(Cough) Damn, (Cough) I wasn't expecting this even if it was my first time activating it."

As the smoke cleared, SoiFon could only stare in amazement at Naruto's Shikai. Hanging from Naruto's right hand was a thin, silver rope that connected to a spinning orb, about the size of an orange at the end. SoiFon noted that it was blue and orange striped with a red spiral, almost like a whirlpool on the sides. Looking at it was quite mesmerising, however she managed to move her eyes up to the huge grin that was on the blonde's face.

With great pride in his voice, he suddenly exclaimed.

"So, what do you think? My Zanpakuto spirit and I had a talk last night after I got back home. She is actually pretty nice to be around, although she can be a bit temperamental at times… This is the first time I have seen my Shikai, so I'm not really sure what to do now…"

He ended a bit lamely. Clearly as surprised as she was about his own Shikai.

Suddenly, the ball moved upward, before Naruto by pure reflex caught the ball in his right hand. Suddenly, realisation dawned on SoiFon before she spoke.

"Your Shikai is a yoyo. You truly are an intriguing person, Naruto."

Naruto took a pondering look. He had never owned any toys while he grew up. When SoiFon had mentioned a yoyo, his mind took him back to when he had seen some kids play in a park back in Konoha. Two of them had a small spinning object connected to a thin rope. He could remember how they had done some impressive twirls with them. All the other kids had seemed amazed at the performance, their eyes glued to the small spinning devices.

As he went down memory lane, he absentmindedly let go of the yoyo, and it fell down before starting to spin again. SoiFon could again feel her eyes being drawn toward the yoyo as it spun lazily.

Naruto suddenly felt a nudge inside his head. It felt different from Kurama and the other tailed beasts, so he assumed it was his Zanpakuto spirit. As if to confirm this, he got a mental image of the spirit lazily swinging the yoyo around. Absently, he started to swing the yoyo back and forth, before it spun the entire length of the line in a clockwise direction at his right side.

Suddenly, the yoyo rolled back up to his hand, and Naruto was left with a face-splitting grin. SoiFon couldn't help but give a small smile in return. His good mood was infectious.

They both knew that he would need some time to adapt to his Shikai. That was why SoiFon put her sword back in its scabbard. Seeing that SoiFon had disengaged, Naruto attempted some more spins to try to get a feel for how the yoyo would move.

As Naruto was experimenting with his new Shikai, SoiFon went over to take a closer look at it. As the yoyo once again rested in his palm, she could spot slits along the rotating axis. She was guessing that it would open up to reveal an attack in the future.

As Naruto was remembering how the kids had played back when he was younger, he tried some of the tricks he had seen them do. He let the yoyo spin along the ground, before returning it to his hand. Feeling a bit bolder, he flung the yoyo from his hand, and to his amazement, the silvery rope extended to almost twice its length before it returned to his hand, never hitting the ground. Looking intently to his Shikai, he couldn't keep the wonder from his voice.

"You are just full of surprises, aren't you?"

As if to answer that, he could swear that he heard a girlish giggle from inside his mind. Feeling emboldened by that, Naruto decided to test something out. He let go of the yoyo so it would spin at a sedated pace. Then he tried to focus on the yoyo, willing it to go faster. Furrowing his brow in concentration, he could see that the yoyo was picking up speed.

Letting it drop to the ground while spinning much faster than previously, Naruto was unprepared when the yoyo suddenly gained traction and shot forward at a fast pace. This time, the rope extended slightly longer than when he had thrown it, before it came back to his hand with a loud smacking noise. Looking down at the ground, there was a small furrow where the yoyo had gained traction.

Looking at the sky, he saw that the Zanjutsu training was coming to an end, so he sealed his Shikai back to its sword form. Once done, they took a quick break before starting the Kido training.

He dimly noted that he was slowly getting tired from all the use of Spiritual pressure. While he was usually brimming with energy, he wondered if this was how normal people usually felt.

After he had trained some in Kido, they took a short break before continuing to practice **Shunpo**. This ended up as another game of tag, before they both walked back to the barracks.

Once Naruto was back, he took a quick shower, careful to wash his body and hair to get the dirt from his game of tag away. As he finished the shower, he dried off with a towel, before looking in the mirror.

Looking back at him was the ever-youthful face he had kept even after almost seventy years. During his lifetime, he had gained some lines and wrinkles to his face, but now he looked like he had when he was in his early twenties. He had a slightly round face with a chiselled jaw. On his cheeks were the whisker-like marks that even his kids had inherited, although his kids' lines were not as clear as his own were. Without his usually present headband, he had to move the hair slightly to show his clear azure eyes. Looking up, he noted that his hair was as unruly as usual. Two chin-long bangs framed his face while the rest was a spikey mess. The hair on top of his head would stand in all directions, while in the back it went down in a spikey curtain down to his shoulders. He kept his hair this way for two simple reasons. The first was because his two girls seemed to like it, and he would be hard pressed to deny them anything. The second was in honour of his old teacher, Jiraiya. Even if he had called him an old pervert on numerous occasions, it had still affected him immensely when the old sage had died while fighting the bodies of Nagato.

After his godfather had died, as Naruto was his apprentice, he had been given most of Jiraiya's possessions. This included any Jutsu he had created as well as the rights for his perverted books, the Icha Icha series. Among his possessions had been a letter addressed for Tsunade. He hadn't know the content, but when she had read it, she promptly burst into tears. It took many hours and the combined effort of him, Shizune and Sakura to help calm her down after that.

Snapping out of his daydreaming, Naruto sent a quick glance down his body. He didn't have bulky muscles as the Raikage, or was as chiselled as Gai or Rock Lee, but he did have sleek and hard muscles. Naruto noted that he should probably begin training with weights again, so as to help increase his speed.

Stepping out of the bathroom, he put on the white shirt and the black pants that he had bought earlier that day. Putting on an apron over his shirt, he went over to the kitchen to start cooking for the evening date.

He would always have a love for Ramen, but living with his two wives had given him a great appreciation for a home cooked meal. As he chopped up the vegetables, he hummed a peaceful tune. It was a tune he had first heard from Kurama, a few days after the war was over. After some prodding and questions, Kurama had admitted that the sage of six paths used to hum that very tune when he felt at peace, so Naruto had taken it upon himself to continue that tradition. When his wives had heard him one day, they had both adopted the tune and had started singing it for their children as well.

He had set a pot on the stove, and the content was now bubbling slowly, indicating that it was boiling. He put the vegetables along with some fish he had cut into the pot and turned it before putting a lid on it. As he left the pot to boil, he started to set the table.

He had some time to spare, so he set the rice to cook before he started folding the napkins. He had started Origami to try to impress his future children, and as a small hobby. He could make many types of animal figures, and his wives thought they were cute. He had never tried to fold a bee before, mostly because bees were rarely considered decorative. After some thought, he had the greatest idea. He quickly finished his folding before going over to check on the food.

Tasting it to see if it needed any more spices, Naruto nodded in satisfaction.

**Outside Naruto's apartment.**

SoiFon was just outside his door. After training she had went to her room and taken a long shower, trying to calm her nerves. She had been impressed when Naruto had shown her his Shikai. Not even a prodigy like Gin or Toshiro had managed to manifest a Shikai in such a short time.

The reason for her fried nerves was the fact that later today she would be on her very first date.

Her early years had been spent training to be the bodyguard for the head of the Shihoin clan. Every waking hour had been spent with the purpose of shaping her body and mind to be the fastest, strongest and most alert. This had led to her not having any experience with anything even close to romance.

Thinking about that, she realised that the reason she felt so drawn toward Yoruichi was because she had tried to break through her shell. Not necessarily in a context related to attraction, but more along the lines of wanting her to lose her rigid mind set. She had mistaken her actions because she didn't know better.

Yoruichi had taken advantage of her ignorance by constantly teasing her. Not because she was cruel or wanted to hurt her, but because she got a reaction out of it. She had always blushed brightly whenever Yoruichi had suggested something, spoken in a certain way, and with how she moved. This had led to her misplaced feelings for her sensei, and had resulted in her shutting herself out ever since her sensei had left.

She had hated that the one person who had acknowledged her had abandoned her. She had hated Urahara Kisuke, the Captain of squad twelve at the time, for taking her sensei away from her. And most of all, she had hated herself for not being strong enough to go with them.

This led to her turned cold to the world, shut herself away and trained relentlessly. So relentlessly had she trained, hoping to surpass her sensei that she had managed to combine Hakuda and Kido. She had done this in the hope that she would be able to beat her sensei so she would have to acknowledge her again.

She had truly been misguided. She decided that she would stop looking to the past with grief, but rather try to rectify it by looking towards a brighter future. She would start today, and it began with this date. She vowed to herself that she would stop her grieving, for she had realised that Yoruichi had in fact not betrayed her, but simply done what she thought was right at the time. She decided that she would train to the best of her ability, not to hurt Urahara Kisuke, whom she had openly hated, but to apologize and show that she had realised her mistake. She decided to grow stronger, not for revenge, but to make both Yoruichi, and now Naruto proud of her.

Snapping out of her deep thoughts, SoiFon realised that she had been standing before Naruto's apartment door for almost half an hour. She was immensely grateful that she had started early. She was both nervous and excited about this date. Nervous because she had no idea how to act or what to do. Excited because… Well, she couldn't really place it, but it felt like her stomach was full of butterflies. She enjoyed spending time with him. How he would look at her with those azure eyes. How she would pay rapt attention when he would tell one of his stories. She suddenly started to blush. What would he think when he saw her? What would they do on their date?

She crushed those feelings. It wouldn't do her any good if she were blushing and acting out even before the date had begun. She schooled her features, set herself in a relaxed position and put a light smile on her face. She wouldn't admit it, but she had smiled more in these last few weeks than she had done the past fifty years.

Checking a watch that was conveniently placed in the hallway, she saw that her mind had occupied her just long enough. She was right on time. Without further thought, and before the butterflies could emerge again, she knocked on the door and waited.

**Inside Naruto's apartment.**

Naruto had just finished the last preparations before he heard the knock. The food was still on the oven so it would keep warm. The table was set, and he had heated water for some tea. He had decided that water would be a bit plain for the date, and he didn't want to send the wrong signals by serving sake. He didn't want to rush into a relationship, and he had a feeling that SoiFon would appreciate him more for it.

Naruto went to open the door manually. There was no point in being rude when he had a date with someone. Grasping the handle of the door. Yes, the door did have a handle, even if it was automatic. He Opened the door and took in the person on the other side.

He was pleasantly surprised by her outfit. She seemed to favour black, but Naruto didn't mind. She wore a sleeveless dress that hugged her body down to her hips before it fell down to a few centimetres below her knees. It covered her entire front, connected around her neck, leaving her shoulders and back bare. The dress was all black, save for what looked like white butterflies in flight down the left side. She had brought her Zanpakuto with her, and it hung horizontally along her lower back, fastened by a yellow obi around her waist.

She had left her hair in her usual two long braids with gold rings at the ends and she had forgone any makeup. Her smile however wasn't her usual cocky grin, but a mixture of a serene, but happy smile. Naruto was happy to note that her eyes now contained more excitement. He had seen her zone out during training a few times, and her eyes had then held loneliness and betrayal. He wasn't sure what had caused it, but he was happy for the change.

SoiFon was smiling. She had gotten some advice from both Rangiku and Isane when she had mentioned that she had a date. They had both been really excited for her, and had helped pick out the dress. Rangiku had of course suggested a dress that would have showed a lot of cleavage and much of her legs. She and Isane had put their foot down. She wasn't going dressed like some cheap hooker on her very first date ever. After looking around the shop for a while, she had noticed this dress, and it had practically screamed her name. She didn't mind that it showed her bare back, because she usually took off her Captain haori when she was training with Naruto, so he had seen it many times already.

Her cheeks suddenly tinted a bit pink when she took in Naruto's outfit. It was a quite simple outfit. Black pants with two red stripes on each leg and a short-sleeved white button up shirt with orange swirls on the left side. The shirt gave her a clear view of those sleek and strong arms of his, and it hugged his upper body nicely.

She noted that he kept his hair in the usual spikey fashion with the wild ponytail in the back. She didn't mind the wild look, it was somehow exciting. Before she had a chance to compliment his outfit, he spoke.

"You look beautiful tonight, SoiFon. Please come in."

Blushing up a storm, SoiFon wanted to hide her face. How could she blush so much when Yoruichi had been teasing her constantly? She wasn't sure if it was because of the long time since she had been complimented on her looks, or if it was because he was complimenting her. Not trusting her voice right now, she just nodded and walked in.

As she walked over to the dining table, she noticed that the lighting had been turned down slightly. At the table, a lone candle was burning, but what surprised her was the napkins on the plates. On the plate across from her was a folded paper fox with nine tails splayed behind it. On her plate however, was a butterfly, folded to look like her Shikai's death mark. Her eyes started filling with tears, but she wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry. Laugh at how morbid it was, or cry because no one had done something like that for her before.

Hearing the clinking of pots and shuffling in the kitchen, she hurriedly wiped away any trace of her tears before she sat down. Focusing on her other senses, she could smell a delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen. Her mouth almost started to water. She couldn't remember ever going out to eat before, so most of her meals were plain.

As Naruto brought the food with him, he noticed how she was smiling faintly. He had noticed that it had been forced when they had first met, but gradually she had started to show a true smile. Although he still didn't know what had happened in her past, he was glad that he was slowly breaking through to her.

Setting down the food, he started to fill up her bowl, before filling his own.

"I hope you like it. It's a simple stew with vegetables, fish and rice at the side."

Tasting it, she noticed how rich the flavour was. The blend of the different vegetables and the fish made for a delicious meal, and she was hard pressed not to destroy her bowl. Seeing that she wanted seconds, Naruto gave a slight chuckle. After filling her bowl anew, he went to the kitchen to pick up a teapot and two cups.

As they ate, they settled into a comfortable silence. SoiFon had complimented the food as some of the best she had ever tasted. Naruto had jokingly replied that she would have to get used to it if she planned to have more than this one date with him.

She had been a bit nervous about the date, but they were just talking and telling stories like they used to, so she managed to relax a bit. Having finished the eating, she was suddenly unsure what to do with her hands, so she put one of them on the table.

Naruto had noticed a slight shift in her posture. She had been a bit tense when she had showed up, so he was happy that she had managed to relax. Seeing that her hand was on the table, he wanted to see how she would react.

SoiFon was staring at her hand. Then she gave a quick glance towards Naruto. He had softly put his hand over hers, and she didn't know what to do. It felt so safe and comfortable that she resisted the urge to pull her hand back. She blushed and looked at her hand again. She noticed that his hand was able to cover hers completely; however, his thumb was just hanging there. Suddenly feeling bold, she helped guide his thumb around her hand with her own, so he was holding around her hand. She noted that it felt good to hold hands like this, and she suddenly wondered if they would be doing this in public in the future.

Naruto was happy by the way she had reacted. It proved that he was getting through to her, and that she at the least was trying to set her pain aside. Touching her hand gave him the same feelings he had whenever he held hands with his wives, so he felt encouraged by her action. He could only hope that they would grow closer, because he truly enjoyed this.

SoiFon felt warmth spread through her whole body. He squeezed her hand gently and it made her heart flutter. This was completely different from how Yoruichi had teased her in the past. With this simple gesture, she blushed even more, but when she looked up, she saw that he gave her a caring smile. Squeezing back, she saw that his eyes sparkled with happiness.

So content was she that she almost missed the hell butterfly that was flying between them. Naruto had also noticed it, and was now following its movements with his eyes. The moment had been shattered, but she didn't want him to let go, so she put up her other hand for the butterfly to land on.

Noticing that her demeanour changed when she received the message, Naruto realised that their date was near its end. There was always work to be done, so he tensed his muscles in anticipation to stand up.

She noticed that she had tensed slightly when she had received the message. It was a special mission requested by the Captain Commander himself. She felt a bit sad that their work had broken such a nice moment, but she assured herself that it would be fine. There was, after all, no reason why they wouldn't be able to have more dates. She wasn't sure where this sudden boldness was coming from, but she let it lead her to stand up and pull her date with her towards the door. She would explain it all in the morning, but for now she wanted to wrap up the date, so with that she turned around, still holding his hand.

"I'm sorry that work had us cut this short, but I really enjoyed this date." Stuttering slightly, she added. "I… I'm hoping we can do it again, perhaps next Saturday if work allows."

Naruto felt thrilled that she had enjoyed the date. He would have to come up with something new for that date, and his excitement was clear in his eyes. Taking her hand, he lifted it up and gently kissed it.

"I can only hope that the next date will be as enjoyable as this one."

Feeling the blush creeping up her cheeks, SoiFon let her emotions guide her. Quick as a thunderclap, she stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. She was unsure of many things regarding love, but most of her romance novels stated that this was a sort of 'thank you' if you had enjoyed a date. Giving his hand one more squeeze, she quickly ran out his apartment before her blush could leave her completely red-faced.

Naruto stood there in the doorway. He was stunned for all of two seconds, before his face split in a massive grin. He barely had enough self-control not to whoop loudly. He wasn't sure how soundproof the walls were, so he instead whooped loudly inside his mind. His face suddenly dropped a bit, but the smile was soon back full force. Neither he, nor his friends were able to sense any deceit from her. He had hated to ask them to observe her, but he had to be sure. Now he could go to sleep with a smile on his face, dreaming up ways to make the next date as pleasant as possible.

SoiFon had made her way back to her own small apartment in record time. Quickly closing her door, she tiredly slid down with her back against it. The mission was all but forgotten as she held the hand he had kissed close to her heart. She would tell him about the mission tomorrow, but for now she wanted to savour the feelings that were close to bursting out of her. Getting ready for bed, SoiFon went to sleep with a small smile on her face. This would be the first night in fifty years where she wasn't tormented by dreams of Yoruichi leaving her, but rather dreaming wonderful dreams about the single kiss Naruto had given her.

**Omake: Washing day.**

Naruto was rubbing his head furiously. It was the same every damn week.

Some unknown Shinigami worker had washed his clothes, he had brushed his teeth and he had showered. He had then taken another shower, and then a third shower. It didn't help. His body let out a foul odour, seemingly from his stomach area.

Sighing, he sat down and went into a meditative trance.

When he opened his eyes, he was standing in the lowest level of his mind. He took note that everyone that was supposed to be there were present.

Starting at random, he noted that his Zanpakuto spirit was as clean as he was. Not surprisingly, since they were supposed to be somehow linked to one another.

Turning left, he noted that Shukaku was also pretty clean. He could still remember how hard it had been to rinse all his sand for blood. It hadn't been pleasant for any of them.

Next was Kurama. He was looking regal as ever. Trying to be a good example, his fur coat was shining, and it looked like someone had combed it. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that his Zanpakuto spirit was hiding a large combe behind her back. He guessed that she would be most relaxed around Kurama as well.

Next was Gyuki. He wasn't sure why he even bothered, since Gyuki usually lived under water. The only time Gyuki had had a reason to clean up was that time he visited Shukaku in his desert. There had been sand everywhere!

Chomei was next, and her wings were as beautiful as ever. Such a nice colour, both yellow, orange and red. Since Chomei resembled an insect, she could release pheromones that smelled good, or bad depending on the situation. She usually only let out the bad smelling type whenever she felt she was in danger, so she was out of the question too.

Saiken stood next in line. Naruto had been a bit suspicious about him in the beginning. The slug-like being was thought to smell bad, but then he had developed that soap bubble jutsu and everything had taken care of itself.

Kokuo stood proud in line. She was one of the more respectful of the tailed beasts. Her half horse, half dolphin appearance gave an air of peace and tranquillity. Kokuo lived as much on land as in the sea, and being friends with Naruto had made her respect his request to stay clean.

Son Goku was the ape king, and third to last. His fur was also clean, and just eyeing it sent a shiver down Naruto's back. He wasn't sure how, when or from where, but after roughly one month Son Goku had started complaining about fleas. Naruto had had to remove fleas the size of apples from his fur, and since then he had sworn never to have to do so again. With the help from Kokuo, they had managed to find a solution by boiling the water Son Goku would use to take a bath.

Quickly moving his gaze, his eyes fell on Isobu. Isobu was a turtle with many spike-like protrusions on his shell. He was also a water dweller, but that shell was often used as living grounds for balanidae and anemones. Saiken had been invaluable in helping to remove them. Thanks to his secretion, the sea creatures would all die because the pH of the water was too high for them to live.

His gaze last fell on Matatabi. The two tails burning cat, and the root of his problems. Yes, she was on fire most of the time, but because of that, and the fact that she was a cat made taking a bath extremely difficult.

Sighing again, he had to ask.

"Why are you making this so difficult? I know you hate water, but you must know how much it pains us to force you to do this?"

She was slowly backing away and hissing all the time. She knew what was to come, but if she answered, she could possibly stall a few more moments.

"**You know it goes against my very nature to take a bath. Hey, stay back from me!"**

The others had turned towards her. She was one of them, but they would do it, both for themselves and for her too.

Giving a nod of his head, Shukaku and Son Goku created a large basin with the help of their sand and lava. Isobu and Kokuo started filling it with water as soon as the walls had set. Saiken put on the finishing touch by adding a bit of his soap. Preparations complete, they all surrounded her and started to close in.

A huge release of chakra made them stop in their tracks. Matatabi's flames that had previously burned blue were now almost invisible. They were burning so hot that the other tailed beasts backed away slightly so as not to get severe burns. This time she would put up a far greater fight than usual. They had never seen flames so hot before, even the flames of Amaterasu seemed like a warm summer's breeze compared to this.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his Zanpakuto spirit. He noticed that her nose twitched a few times before she ran forward giggling. Jumping high in the air, she landed on the back of the flaming cat, seemingly unable to be burned by the intense flames. Taking a deep breath through her nose, she happily exclaimed.

"The smell is gone. Burned away by the intense flames."

At that, all the tailed beasts visibly relaxed, but none more than Matatabi. She slumped down and started to lick her paw, before scratching behind her left ear. Her flames had turned back to the usual blue.

Letting out a deep breath, she laid down before speaking, the danger seemingly over.

"**That was too close. Not again, never again. I only have so many lives left after the last time."**

Naruto was happy that they had found a solution that didn't involve forced bathing. He could still remember how she had run around the whole place in a frenzy after they had dunked her the last time.

**A/N:**

I'm sad to say that I won't put out a new chapter next week or the week after that. The reason is fairly simple, and can be summed up in one terrible word: Exams. Going to the university, I pay for school now, so if I fail there is more money and time wasted. Sure, I can retake the exams, but that would mean more problems next time I have exams, and we can't have that :p As compensations for this, I'll try to give you guys a chapter right before Christmas. I hope you can forgive me, but real life will always take priority over my writing (Even if I sometimes wish it wasn't so.)

(1) Seriously. Coming up with names for shops is hard. I think I sat there for half an hour, just trying to imagine a suitable name. Then I finally remembered a way out… I blame Urahara Kisuke for the simple, yet somehow fitting name for my first shop :p


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